Helen

Colourful midlife mum to two teens. Determined not to do as she's told and slide off into invisible old age. Much cooler at 50 than she was at 15. Host of the Teenage Kicks podcast, about mental health for teenagers.

Extreme weather: Wot so Funee?

The year 2 topic in my brother’s class at the moment is extreme weather – ice storms, volcanoes, rainforests, etc. He is taking part in an assembly this week to showcase what he has learned so far. I’m really hoping they rehearse him before the big event, because here are 2 nuggets of information he gave me over the weekend: Hailstones are like ice-pops. (Yeah, in a weird alternate universe where Vanellope von Schweetz really is Queen). You get piranhas on Amazon. Now, I know everyone’s worried about world domination at the hands of the e-commerce giant, but I don’t think there’s …

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Graphic novels for kids: Robotslayer, by Vincent Kamp

I’ve always been a fan of sleep, but since discovering that reading is not only easy, but fun, I appear to have contracted my sister’s virus. It manifests as an inability to keep my head on the pillow at night unless said pillow is also home to a book. I have been discovered several times recently in the middle of the night, with lights blazing and a pile of books littering my duvet. One such book is Robotslayer. I read it. Mummy read it to me. And then I read it again. I’m not the biggest fan of handwriting, but …

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Rivers, weirs and floods: project 365 #06

We went to a concert this week. An orchestral performance just for children – just half an hour of short, recognisable, or fun pieces, designed to introduce children to classical music. Both GG and The Bug take violin lessons at school, and they both chose to attend the concert. It took us to Hertford, a place we rarely visit, and into sunshine, a thing we haven’t seen much of recently, so we wandered afterwards, savouring the fresh air. I stopped by the river, to explain what the rain has done, why the water was running so fast. I’m constantly looking …

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What to get a nine year old for her birthday!

By Helen and GG… Helen: We’re back, and this week’s Ask GG is on the issue that is closest to my daughter’s heart. Stuff. More precisely, stuff for her – stuff she has, stuff she wants, stuff she thinks she wants, and stuff that no self-respecting parent would ever let their child be without. In the opinion of a 9 year old. Which is, after all, the point of the post.  GG: This post is based on what Donna from little Lilypad Co and PinkOddy (who needs ideas for a ten year old) said in their comments. Once again this is …

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Buzz Lightyear and the Rocket Scooter #TeamHonkRelay

*Updated: for pictures of the event scroll down. By GG… I am embarrassed. As I sit in maths today, my mother will be gearing up for her part in #TeamHonkRelay. Which means she will be clothing herself in this Buzz Lightyear costume and scooting into the centre of St Albans on a Rocket Micro Scooter. She has practiced on the scooter. But only in our kitchen. So she will be rubbish. But that is not what’s embarrassing me. It is well known that people go silent when in the presence of a lone adult in fancy dress. Fear and uncertainty …

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Weather in Florida: Wot so Funee?

Funee is thin on the ground at the moment, with dead serious taking its place at an alarming rate. So I went sifting through our draft posts – you know, those half written anecdotes designed to remind me of detailed scenarios and enthralling witticisms. Sadly they never quite manage the feat of recalling memory, but I did happen across this one, from our Florida holiday last year. I think it’s strangely appropriate for a Britain in the grip of floods. And as today sees my mum in a flimsy Buzz Lightyear costume, scooting for Sport Relief, I am praying that …

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Building confidence in kids: from fear to ambition! Project 365 #05

I made my stage debut tonight. I have been at fever pitch all week with late night rehearsals and costume anticipation. I’m performing in the stage version of Grease at the Alban Arena theatre, and I am beyond excited. I have a ‘circle skirt’ which I’ve been telling people about for days, a boiler  suit for Greased Lightning, and an actual prom dress. I’m on a stage – not a raised box in the school hall, a real stage, in a real theatre for the first time in my life! I love the thrill of performing – always have, ever …

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Gorgeous bespoke girls tutu party dress from Dainty Dizzy

A little while back I was browsing the internet for a bridesmaid’s dress. And before you ask, I am allowed to do that when my parents are in the room. Browsing the internet is not a sensible activity for a young girl, but on this occasion there was never going to be much surfing once I’d discovered this girls tutu party dress by Dainty Dizzy. These gorgeous creations are hand-stitched in Cornwall, and are fully lined. A quick flick through the website will tell you that they are in grand company. With the likes of the Royal Opera House stocking …

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Ask GG: Recommended reading list for 9 year olds

Last week we introduced a new feature, Ask GG, where readers get to ask anything they like, and I will give you the definitive answer – according to me. We were inundated with questions, so thank you. I will pick a few each week and post my answers on a Wednesday. This week I have chosen to answer the questions of Anna, from In the Playroom, and Kate, at Crafts on Sea, who both wanted recommendations for a reading list for 9 year olds who are good readers. Remember that I had been chastised for hiding a book under my maths coursework when I …

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Wot so Funee? Writing Practice.

By the Bug. I’ve been tasked with practicing my writing recently. It’s not my favourite thing, but we’ve been waiting for it to ‘click’ for a while now, and so far it hasn’t. I have a summer birthday, which puts me at at disadvantage to the rest of my class in keeping up, so every now and then something becomes the focus and I get to work on it really hard. Oh joy. If you’re in a similar position, may I suggest that you try to keep it short, sweet and frequent. Here are a couple of things you could …

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Project 365 #04: Recommended reading

I love to read. I read anywhere and all the time; I frequently generate grumbles from my parents by asking them to carry a bag load of my books on train journeys and trips to the supermarket. You just never know when you might get some down-time, and a book fills it like nothing else. This amount of reading has rendered me practiced at quickly decoding words, and so I’m always looking for the next challenge. But at the age of 9, many of the books I’m capable of reading are deemed unsuitable my my mother, or too complex by …

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Valentine’s gifts: Heart shaped fudge slabs!

Heart shaped fudge slabs - perfect Valentine's gift (provided you can bear to part with it)!

Fudge. Fudge. Glorious Fudge. What on earth says “I love you” better than giving away your fudge?? I know I can’t part with mine, so this little batch of heart shaped fudge is staying right here. Make your own! Heart shaped fudge recipe We used a silicone bread mould, with a heart shaped insert, but you can use any cake or baking tin, with a deep heart-shaped mould set inside it. The difference is you will have one giant slab to present then chop, rather than several slices of fudge, as we did. Valentine’s gifts: Heart shaped fudge slabs!   …

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Change the Story Mother!

My mum went somewhere really important this week. I could tell it was important because she disappeared into the back of the wardrobe and emerged in a smart shirt and crisply ironed trousers. She used to wear them when she worked near Westminster, before I was born. As it happens, she was back to her old stomping ground, but this time she was visiting the House of Lords, and this time it was reeeeeeally important.   What is Change the Story? Considering we live in a sophisticated society, it might surprise you to know that last year 1 in 4 …

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Are my Skylanders making me grumpy? Screen time limits for children.

By The Bug I have a problem with my mother. She accuses me of being grumpy, hankers after this boy I apparently used to be – always up for any suggestion, cheerful, happy, ‘sunny’ whatever that means. Now she calls me Victor Meldrew and tells me off for the look on my face. The problem is, I’m not grumpy at all, and once I get to the park/supermarket/bike trail/book shop, I’m full-on into it, asking questions, enjoying the sights, laughing at a game. It’s just that I like to put on a teenager face whenever I’m asked to leave the …

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Project 365 #03: Experimenting with light

Over Christmas we got into the lush habit of lounging on the sofa on gloomy afternoons, watching films. Christmas presents mostly consisted on box sets, and now that we are old enough to manage more than just Disney animations, the sofa is a tempting alternative to blustery winds and soggy walks. However, as part of our one word resolution, Mummy is determined to get us outdoors, if only for an hour before the lazing begins. This was just an hour, to our local play park, and the sky threatened intermittently to rain us off. But despite our initial reluctance, we …

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GG’s New Year’s Resolutions

Hi. This is actually GG not my bossy mum. Before we start I would just like to let you know about a new feature on the blog. It’s called…… Ask GG! You just leave your question in your comment and I’ll get back to you! Simple as that. Now on with the resolutions! I should have no new years resolutions but my mum says I have to. I’m going to post some and you lot can see if I keep them. OK? Lets go! My New Year’s Resolutions Try and eat less sugary foods. Lots of people try to do …

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Wot so Funee? Buying a home

By the Bug…   I have been musing on where I might live when I am old enough to move out of my parents’ house. There’s a road near us with the same name as me, so I’ve always assumed I’d live there eventually, but there’s a problem: it doesn’t have the right kind of home. I gave my mother the benefit of my thought process this week. Buying a home Me: It must be really boring living in a flat. Mum: Well, that depends. A penthouse appartment would be kind of special. Anyway, most people live in a flat for …

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Project 365 #02: Aldenham Country Park

It’s a terrible photo – its blurry, the light wasn’t great under all the trees, and if you look closely, I’m squinting. But I was pleased with myself, because I’d just climbed right to the top of a series of climbing nets, and we’d missed the rain. So the smile was genuine. Discovering Aldenham Country Park in Elstree After our centrally heated over-indulgence at Christmas we were keen to get out and see friends, so on the final inset day before the return to school, we arranged to meet at the bowling lanes. So did everyone else. We tried soft …

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Beautiful Congham Hall Hotel in Norfolk (review)

Arriving at Congham Hall Hotel felt like going home for Christmas (if your family happen to have a beautiful old house in lovely grounds, in peaceful countryside). Quiet, and twinkly with Christmas lights, it was far removed from our usual chaotic life, despite being only a 2 hour drive from our home in Hertfordshire. The peace dazed us for a moment, before we crunched up the gravel driveway into the bright and festive – yet still strangely calm – reception hall. We were soon installed in our comfy room which had everything I personally need – superkingsize bed (Actually Daddy …

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Wot so Funee? Proud moments for parents

Over Christmas my mother spent some time in my room. I’m not usually fond of this experience, because she tidies things. I take after my Dad – I can’t find my stuff if it’s tidy! Seriously mother, stay out of my room! Another ill-effect of the process is that she comes across random bits of paper and old schoolwork I have ‘filed.’ What? There is nothing wrong with my homework sharing a living space with my tights. It’s perfectly logical. To me. Proud moments for parents Anyway, she found these. Number one is the speech I prepared last year to …

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