Christmas Club - August

Today there is 122 days until Christmas! I know that a lot of you are going to start throwing things at me, but really, that is a small number of days before everyone will be complaining that they have so much to do before Christmas and that they wish they were better organised for the upcoming celebrations!

I was really naughty and didn't post last month, and so I didn't suggest that if you were preparing for Christmas that you take a look at what you had planned to make and cut back or redefined what you were planning! So consider last month your holiday and this month make sure that you aren't expecting too much of yourself.

This month for me is about the fiddly bits. I have already created my lists for what I am hoping to get people and what I would like (Towels please family, I can show you which ones!) and I am getting into the bargain bins and looking for stocking fillers for everyone. I love WH Smiths at this time of year, as the clearance stock seems to always be fantastic and I can normally pick up books, folders pencils etc quite cheaply and it is all things that will be used!

Don't forget if you write a Christmas letter or round robin, make a note of what has happened this month!

John Lewis Christmas Preview, A Mothers Ramblings Style!

When I was asked the other week if I would like to go to the John Lewis Christmas preview show in July I was really really excited and of course said yes; Anything to do with Christmas will get me excited and have me answering Yes (read in to that what you will!). When Top Ender found out that it was going to be Christmas in July she asked if she could come too which is why Top Ender, Baby Boy and I all went to London for the day.

We managed to keep some commuters amused in the morning with Top Enders excitement;

"Will Santa be there?" she asked
"No I don't think so, he is probably rather busy at the North Pole right now" I answered
"Maybe he is on holiday in London" she answered more knowingly than me

We knew we were in the right place when we saw a snow machine outside of the building and a Christmas tree just inside the door.

Even though we were really early we were welcomed in and then I was handed a Flip camera.

Yeah. I know.

I assumed at the time (and lots of other people told me they thought the same too) that the camera was to give the team at John Lewis our view of the day, but no it was for us to keep. Top Ender had a field day and was filming EVERYTHING. Anyway eventually I got to see round all the lovely fab stuff that John Lewis will be getting in after Clearance and during late August, early September.

So Top Ender and Baby Boy got to watch 3D TV whilst sitting on a sofa that was the so comfy that I did think about stealing it out of the front door whilst getting some other Bloggers to create a diversion. The other Bloggers were up for it, but I just could face taking the sofa on the Tube.

I got to see round all the new ranges that are coming in, I remembered that Diesel is bringing new Denim into John Lewis and that Russian Military is going to be big this winter, and if anybody needs an Evening Gown there are going to be some great choices in John Lewis this year! There was a nightie that I did think was an Evening Gown, (honestly though if I did the school run in that people would be asking me when I won the Lottery!) and there were Doc Martin Boots that will be on my Christmas list (I would like the ones with the sheep fleece lining please!). There were some fantastic Men's PJ's and some great slippers in really vibrant colours and some really nice suits, one of which convinced me that Doctor Who shops in John Lewis.

There were some beautiful bedspreads and furniture (did you know that John Lewis have items that can be customised for you? Yup, Good old John Lewis does bespoke furniture!) that was making me think about starting to play the lottery in order to get a bigger house to keep it all in! There were several more chairs that I fell in love with and cushions galore. If you want to update your rooms this year, but want to do it on a small scale change the cushions, find some in John Lewis as there are a lot to choose from!

I was able to see lots of the Christmas decorations range where there is something for everyone! There are a lot of vibrant jewel colours and a lot of Scandinavian inspired type decorations and the cutest wooden cut words (Peace, Joy and Noel) in a light wood which will be on sale between £12 and £15 and will be something I invest in this year.

The best part of course was upstairs (where I had deposited Baby Boy and Top Ender with some friendly staff) where there were Children's clothes and Toys. Top Ender and Baby Boy thought it fabulous and had made cupcakes, cards, played with Play-Doh and Top Ender had even made a headband and had her face painted by the time I got back to them!

The train journey home was spent by Top Ender and I talking about the amazing time we had spent with John Lewis and Cohn And Wolfe (Baby Boy was crashed out in his buggy) and what we wanted for Christmas much to the amusement of the other commuters again!

So I know that I talk about Christmas all year round, but if you want to get a jump on this years Christmas Shopping, get to a John Lewis Store at the end of the Summer!

Daddy Giggles - A Very Yummy Mummy

At Christmas Baby Boy was a lucky young man and got two new plates and bowls. Daddy had been with me when I got them. Daddy had actually seen them, held them and paid for them.

Daddy was sitting with Baby Boy as he was unwrapping his presents. As such this meant that Daddy was able to examine each new gift after Baby Boy had passed his own judgement on them.

When Baby Boy got to the plates and bowls he immediatly passed them to Daddy, with more interest in the paper that had previously been wrapped around them.

"Bit self indulgent isn't it?" muttered Daddy
"Pardon?" I answered having really not heard
"Yummy Mummy" he quoted showing the plate to me

It took an "Oh-my-goodness-can't-you-read" glare and a second for Daddy to realise.

How to buy gifts for tricky people

On Christmas Day my Mother In Law had popped round to see us and to swap gifts. Whilst she was here Daddy had to quickly use the Carpet Sweeper (or the hodduhuduhduh as it is known in our house thanks to Eddie Izzard) and she made a comment about how she didn't have one and would like one.

"Brilliant!" I thought

I made a mental note for a future gift for Mothers Day or Birthday or one of the other million reasons there are per year to show apprecation for those around us and carried on enduring enjoying her visit.

It was decided between Daddy and I later that day, that because she has been having a bad time of it of late, that we would purchase one and take it round on New Years Day, a clean start to the New Year sort of thing.

So we took it round on New Years Day and discovered that she had already brought one...

It was the Digital Camera debacle all over again, but that is a story for another day.

It was with thanks to my MIL that I made sure that I wrote down my unofficial rules that I try to follow when buying gifts as I do through out the year and they are;

1) Will this add clutter to someones home or will they use it?
2) Is it something they would like?
3) Is it something they might have already?
4) Is it something they have asked for?
5) Is it something they would buy for themselves?

And I also want to remind everyone to start thinking about the Christmas Club, which will start on the 25th of January!

Top Ender Giggles - The only reason to feel sad after Christmas

Whilst I was talking to my Mum on the phone she mentioned that she had taken down her Christmas tree as she was feeling sad. Top Ender overheard this and asked

"Why is Granny feeling sad?"
"Why do you think Top Ender?" I asked

Top Ender thought for a second and answered

"Was it because she didn't get lots and lots of Christmas gifts from Santa?" she questioned
"No, it wasn't that Top Ender!" I answered

The Yummy Mummy With No Tummy Challenge - Week Nineteen

The scales are the one thing in my life that tell me the truth week in and week out. I trust them, I understand them. I know that they want what is best for me. I know that even if I look like I have lost weight, but I haven't that they won't tell me that I have.

I know that my scales won't look at old photos of me from the last few years and tell me that I look like I have lost a lot of weight (Thank you though Daddy it was very kind of you) even though I don't think that I have.

So when I got on the scales this morning and saw that my weight had increased by 1lb from last week I was happy. My scales are telling me that despite all the indulgences of the past week my plan to try to keep on track and to try to exercise as much possible is actually working. I worked out my calorie in-take and I know that without my conscious efforts to exercise more that I should of put on a lot more than 1lb.

And so I look forward to next year knowing that I can lose weight, keep it off and enjoy myself doing it!

Lets party like it's 2009 - Week Eighteen of The Holiday Grand Plan

Well Christmas is over and not quite forgotten even though all the toys have been unwrapped and played with and are currently scattered across most of our living room and bedrooms and the landing and bathroom... Daddy and I are fighting a losing battle against an ever increasing Toy Army!

We had a really great day and saw most of our family on Christmas Day and even with Daddy needing to leave to go to work in the early evening, we spent a lot of quality time together and even managed to keep the Kitchen fairly tidy! We were so on the ball this year that we have stripped the Turkey, used up all the left over Veg (Baby Boy and I had Bubble and Squeak for Breakfast on Boxing Day and I had what was left in an omlette today!), made stock from the Turkey Carcass and I have a a few meals for the left over Turkey planned.

We are thinking about changing a few things next year and we are also going to need to think about what can be done about the number of toys that are gifted to Top Ender and Baby Boy because we don't live in a TARDIS, despite my attemps to woo David Tennant, but for now we are enjoying the gifts we were lucky enough to be given and the leftover Chistmas goodies (such as the Christmas cake and Christmas pudding!) as well as looking forward to New Year!

Daddy is working on New Years Eve and so this will be the first time in ten years that we haven't seen the New Year in together. We will of course be on the phone to each other (we have VOIP phones so should be able to connect despite all the other people trying to talk to each other at the same time!) and will more than likely both be watching Myleene Klass on the BBC with events from London.

This week in the Holiday Grand Plan it is suggested that we write our thank you notes, take down our trees and decorations and of course think about the New Year that is stretching out ahead of us. We will take our decorations down on the 1st and 2nd of January (before Top Enders Birthday but after New Year) and our thank you notes should all be in the post on the 29th December!

And this marks the end of the Holiday Grand Plan and Christmas 2009, but it is just the start for preparing for Christmas in 2010! Yes that's right I am already thinking about next year and planning to ease into Christmas preparation by stocking up on good value finds throughout the year.

If you would like to join me then stop on by on the 25th of each month!

Santa caught on Webcam!

We have several webcams in our house and Top Ender decided that this year she would like to try and catch Santa on them, when he came to deliver gifts to our house. I thought this was an excellent idea as we wouldn't be breaking any rules as we would still be asleep in our beds and so we arranged for the webcams to record during the night.

Santa has an easy job here as he only brings the gifts that are left in our Stockings and so other than eating the snacks we leave out for him, taking the carrot for one of his reindeer (Think about it if every house in the land left out multiple carrots for the Santa's reindeer it would mean fat reindeers who are then to heavy to fly and the end of Christmas) and reading the note we leave he doesn't have to stay long, but even I was surprised that he got our house done in 96 seconds!

Merry Christmas Everyone!

Top Enders Christmas Speech

Welcome to Top Enders Christmas Speech... short and sweet!

Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!

Wordless Wednesday - O Tannenbaum, o Tannenbaum! Du kannst mir sehr gefallen!

The School Nativity

Sitting with Daddy at Top Enders School Nativity (see pictures of Top Ender here) it occurred to us that there are always types of children that you can find in any School Nativity in the UK. In fact you could probably take this worldwide and go back and forwards in time and still find the same types of children.

So here is my brief description of some of the children that were present at Top Enders School Nativity. If you want to take this time to regress back to when you were at school and in the School Nativity and you are sure that none of your fellow classmates was *one* of the following particular types then it was probably you....

How many of the following types can you spot in this photo?

The Nose Picker

As the category type suggests they are the one with one finger digging away inside their nose. For some reason they are always in the front row of the Nativity and so you can't help but seem them. You can't help but be impressed with the depth they can get a finger into their little nostril, before finally it emerges with its treasure, which is either wiped on the child sitting next to them or eaten...

The Shy Child

This is the one that if you aren't there parent you might miss as they are so busy trying to blend into the background, or into the Skirt of the nearest female teacher. Their parents insist that they aren't like it at home, and yet you get a good view of the top of their head dress for the entire nativity as they keep their eyes on the ground.

The Noisy Kid/Shout instead of Sing Child

You can't see them but you can hear them. They will sing all the songs at the top of their voice and sometimes even shout the lines of their classmates if they felt it wasn't said loudly enough the first time. You know this kids name because the teacher keeps hissing it at them. The child sometimes starts singing a different song to the rest of the class.

The Crying/Overwhelmed Child

Not to be confused with the Shy child. This Child has been excited for the Nativity for as long as it has known there was going to be one. They are all ready to sing and to say their carefully practiced lines until they get up on the stage. They either cry or stand there looking like they are about to cry. The teacher is sometimes needed to hold their hand on stage to get them pass this point so they can either sing or say their line.

The I should of been... Child

This Child will be in the back row and will have the most powerful stare you have seen since Damien in The Omen. The stare will be directed at Mary or Joseph, or possibly the Donkey or the Lead Angel because that part should of been theirs! Careful not to look to long at this child because we all know what happen to the grown ups in The Omen.

The needs a wee Kid

At first you think this Child is just a normal fidget, but it is only as the Nativity goes on that you realise this Child needs a wee and needs it now. If the teachers are paying attention there won't be need for therapy in later years for this Child when the needs a wee Child becomes a need a cloth and new costume Child.

The Future Star

Normally an angel, this Child will have a costume that a parent has painstakingly spent hours, nay weeks making. There will be the usual tinsel around the neck of the dress, the Tinsel halo and huge painted cardboard wings and a smile that could light up the world if it was given at the right time. Jazz hands are optional.

The waving to Mummy Child

This Child might normally be quite shy and so Mummy and Daddy have invited everyone the Child knows to come to give them a confidence boost. The Child will beam at their Mummy or Daddy or Granny or Grandad or Auntie or Uncle or Next Door Neighbour or parent of their best friend or... yeah they wave to everyone in the audience who they have ever known. Greer Garson was this kid, and if you don't know why she is in the Guinness Book of Records go look her up.

The Chatter box

Some children just have to express every thought that pops into their head. This child will chat the entire time to those around them, and the Teacher will keep looking at them with that Teacher "Stop Doing that" stare or will have told the other Children in rehearsal to ignore the Chatter box. It is because of this that they are easy to find, they are normally the Child sitting in the middle of a circle of children facing away from them.

The won't open my mouth Child

Front row centre this is the Child who isn't shy or overwhelmed, but has for some undisclosed reason decided that it is not going to sing or say any of its lines. If you are lucky you might get a begrudged sigh from them when their least favourite song is started to be sung.

The I know everybody lines Child

The class know it all. They may be some kind of child prodigy and instantly memorise anything that is said in front of them (just like all Children are when you swear by accident in front of them) or they might be the one Child who wants any part other than the one they have and so has learnt all the script just in case someone gets struck down by The Measles or really does break a leg and they can save the day.

The Class Clown

The Teachers know that this child is going to be trouble from the start and so normally make them an Inn Keeper, as everybody knows the Inn Keeper gets the best laughs.In some productions they might announce there is room at the Inn, but normally they will be quite happy pulling faces and doing funny little actions to the amusement of those around them.

And of course then there is your child, who is just a perfect little Treasure and wouldn't do any of the above...but what I am interested in is which child were you?!

The Yummy Mummy With No Tummy Challenge - Week Eighteen

And so the week before Christmas has started and already I have seen enough food and chocolate (two seperate food groups) to last me all week. When we did the Christmas Grocery shop at the weekend we decided that it would be a proper treat week with some of out favourite foods being added to the trolley... Smoked Salmon, Prawns, nuts, fruit and Pringles!

Obviously this isn't going to all be eaten in one week, but I have a feeling that I shan't be losing any weight next week and thats with me saying very loudly and very clearly that I am on a diet!

Anyway to this week and the scales see a lost of 1lb which leaves me a happy bunny!

Its time to Celebrate! - Week Seventeen of the Holiday Grand Plan

Its here!!!! Today marks the start of the Holiday Grand Plans Celebrate week and the start of a week long celebration for Top Ender, Baby Boy and I (Daddy is at work for a lot of the week).

We start today with the celebration of Baby Cousins First Birthday, then this afternoon Top Ender and I are going to bake when we get back and then this evening we will light our last advent candle and sit as a family watching our last weekly Christmas film. I think that we are going to watch Barbie's The Christmas Carol, but if Daddy gets his way it will be The Muppets Christmas Carol!

Tomorrow Top Ender, Baby Boy and I will make some cake balls and possibly a yule log... depends if I think Top Ender can handle it! We will then go and visit with my Mum again as she will have some old and very close family friends coming over (weather permitting). Daddy isn't keen on me driving in the current weather conditions (apparently it isn't my driving but everybody else that makes him worried) but we might make an adventure of it and go by train!

On Tuesday I have a whole series of art and craft activities for Top Ender and Baby Boy, including some things that we can put up in our home and some things that we are going to make for last minute gifts, including hand wreaths, reindeer hand prints and a few calenders!

Wednesday afternoon will hopefully see the roads clear enough that we can go and pick up last minute shopping items, the sort of things that have short shelf lives, but are essential at Christmas such as cream and fresh fruit...but if not we might risk walking to the supermarket instead of driving!

Thursday is the day that we are looking forward to as we are hoping to go to John Lewis and drink Hot Chocolate and eat cookies whilst watching the last minute panic stricken shoppers run around the shopping centre! We will also pop to a couple of supermarkets to pick up some reduced bargins so that we can not worry about going shopping again until the New Year! Just make sure that you have room in the freezer if you decide to also go bargin grocery shopping on Christmas Eve!

Friday of course is the big day and there shall be an Alternative to the Queens Speech right here at A Mothers Ramblings!

And this will be the last time that I get to mention these lovely ladies who have also been preparing for Christmas, so please go and say Hello and look at what they have been up to;

Krista at Typical Ramblings
Candace at Diary of a FlyBaby
Diane at DianeDenmark
Kelly at Life at the Quinn Home
Hannah at Home Baked

The Worse Christmas gift...

The Worse Christmas gift I can remember being given is also the funniest Christmas gift I can remember ever given, but I need to set the scene for you.

My MIL and her husband are what one might call old fashioned. My MIL seems to be oblivious to a lot of the world, or at least the bit where slang terms originate from. I can not say I possess that quality myself and I have taken much delight in the past from being very naughty whilst in her home and using some phrases that may or may not have a double meaning... so far I haven't been caught by anyone other than my BIL who quietly smirked whilst sitting on the sofa and indeed joined in with this new game.

Now the year before last we went round to her home early on Christmas morning, (she goes to Church with her husband for the Christmas Day Morning Service and so we need to be there pre 8:30am). It isn't a pretty sight. I need breakfast and some time to wake up so I can be on top form mentally to think up my double entendres and the such and at 8:30am on Christmas Day I am still thinking about sugar plums dancing because I normally end up staying up to 2am on Christmas Eve trying to catch Santa.

So we were handing out gifts and I was sitting on the sofa in the corner trying to smile away the hangover "without-having-drunk-any-alcohol" feeling I had. My MIL then handed me my gift and I unwrapped it whilst wondering what delights were in store for me this year.

Inside was an apron.

But that wasn't the worst part. I would of quite liked a new apron.

The apron had a picture of a topiary tree on it and the phrase "Keep your bush neat and tidy" and it was positioned in such a way that the Double entendre of the phrase was quite obvious.

I laughed. I thought that it was funny. Although I did want to know why my garden was being questioned by my MIL and an apron.

My MIL looked at me with a look of relief.

"I'm glad that you think it is funny, I was worried you would be offended!" she offered
"No I think it is funny!" I said passing the apron to Daddy and thinking my little game would have to stop.

It was two days later that Daddy got a text message from his Mother, asking him to apologise to me on her behalf. She had just found out what the apron meant from her more worldly in matters such as these husband...

So I could never wear the apron again knowing that the apron had been given in more innocence than it first seemed.... at least I can keep playing my game when we go round!

Now let me hear the worst of your gifts!

The last Saturday before Christmas

The last Saturday before Christmas is spent by hundreds of people buying gifts at the last minute, but that isn't how we spent ours. I spent a lot of today reflecting on the past year because tomorrow it is Baby Cousins First Birthday and we get to celebrate with her and our family. There is an unwritten rule in our family that first birthdays are celebrated at my Mums and so that's where we will be.

Today we had a family day, we went and did the big Christmas food shop together and then mainly because of the snow in our area we stayed in and played or in my case wrapped gifts! It was really lovely because spending time together isn't something we get to do a lot of as a family with our conflicting work schedules!

This week with Top Ender being on Christmas break we are going to try and cram as much as possible in before the big day . I have so much planned for us to do that I think Top Ender will be quite pleased to get back to school! So I had better go now to get some sleep... And to watch the end of Love Actually so I can dream of Alan Rickman tonight!

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

Secret Christmas Ornament Swap

A few months ago I was doing my usual blog hopping and came across a great blog called It's a Wonderful Life. I added it to my blog roll and it was a few weeks after, that I discovered Val was hosting a Secret Christmas Ornament Swap. After a couple of swapped emails about the possiblity of a British paticipation I signed up!

I sent my ornaments to the wonderful Pennie at Mom Thoughts which you can see in her post if you want to. I think that you can really hear the excitement in her post, plus I love the title of the post Yippee for Pippa!!!!

Anyway my ornaments came through in the post this week from a wonderful lady called Caitlin at Chaotic Creation (and she is getting married next October to her sweetheart Ryan so I want to say here that I wish them a long and happy life together because they look so cute together!) and wow were we impressed.

Top Ender and Baby Boy started working their way into the box and started pulling out packages before I even had the camera out of the case. I did manage to wrestle the ornaments from them for long enough to lay them out to get a few photos.

In this one you can see all the beautiful ornaments that Caitlin made, yes that is right *made*.

These two mittens have the adorable faces of a Santa and an Elf, who Top Ender has decided to call Alfie. Alfie is apparently in charge of Santas sleigh. I thought that was Dudley Moore's Patch, but apparently my great knowledge of Christmas films means nothing to Top Ender.

Top ender also decided that each set of mittens were designed for a specific family member, she believes that Green are for Daddy, Red are for me, Blue are for Baby Boy and the Pink are for her. I think she is probably right. What gets me about these mittens is that each set has a different snowflake on them and I totally didn't notice that at first!

Then of course there was this adorable Snowman and Santa, I love the snowmans scarf and hat and Santa's shoes with the curly toes they both look so cute!

Lastly there were these adorable pink and purple glittery snowflakes of which I got four of each colour, but they have all mysteriously gone missing... or at least I thought they had until I went into Top Enders room and actually paid attention to her little tree, from which I borrowed two ornaments so I could take a picture of them!

Part of the challenge that Val issued to us was to visit the blog of our partner and to get to know them, so that we could chose an ornament (or ornaments) that we felt would be suitable for them. So I would like to thank Caitlin for my beautiful ornaments because they really do fit our family perfectly!

Edit: I just found out that these were all store brought and not home made... I don't care, nobody over here has any the same as me so I shall say there were custom made for me!

Wordless Wednesday - The Nativity

It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas - Week Sixteen of the Holiday Grand Plan

Its beginning to look a lot like Christmas in our house and this week in the Holiday Grand Plan it is Maintenance Week, which for me is quite lucky as I have a couple of chores that I need to do but there is nothing major that needs doing!

I still have a few gifts to finish making, I have one of Daddy's gifts to finish, and Top Ender and Baby Boy's pillow cases and hot water bottle covers need to be made too... although the covers I will probably do whilst watching the snooker with 'Daddy' this evening. All of these gifts are ones that will take me an evening at the most and I can do whilst watching the TV!

The Mummy shop was open yesterday for Top Ender and included a new staff member, who Top Ender reliably informs me, was Santa's wife! Apparently she was very helpful and should come again next year as she also helped Top Ender with all her wrapping and labels... wish that she would come and help me next year!

This week sees Baby Boy having a Christmas party on Monday, Top Ender having a festive lunch period on Thursday and Top Enders Christmas performance on Tuesday afternoon and Wednesday morning (we have tickets to go on the Tuesday) and of course Top Ender breaks up from school too!

It has made me realise that Christmas, New Year, Top Enders and Daddy's birthdays are all just round the corner and we had really better get on enjoying the season before it has flown by! Daddy is unfortunately working in the evening on both Christmas Eve, Christmas Day and New Years Eve and is starting to feel a little guilty about it. As I pointed out to him however once the kids are in bed on Christmas Eve and Christmas Day the only things that I will have to do this year are watch TV or read and they are really solo pursuits!

Oh and one last thing I kept wanting to put up some external lights outside our bedroom windows but kept procrastinating! Today I took control however and hung them out whilst Daddy looked after the children in the living room. I was very pleased with the results (as were Top Ender, Baby Boy and Daddy) and I know that next year I will get them up as soon as I do the inside!

So as usual if you want to see how others are preparing for Christmas you really must go and have a visit with;

Krista at Typical Ramblings
Candace at Diary of a FlyBaby
Diane at DianeDenmark
Kelly at Life at the Quinn Home
Hannah at Home Baked

Christmas Memories - In a Vlog!

Welcome to my first Videolog at A Mothers Ramblings! The Video is only 9:51 seconds long and I am sorry but the sound is out with the video so I apologise for that! I shall fix it for next week!

Cinderella at Milton Keynes Theatre

On Monday night Daddy, Top Ender, Baby Boy and I went to The Milton Kenyes Theatre to review Cinderella as part of The Great Panto Review at Have a Lovely time. I was really excited to be given the opportunity as Cinderella was being played by Lousie Dearman. Now most of you probably have no idea who this blonde Temptress of the West End is but I do because I went to school with her and she was the first friend I made when my family moved to a new town when I was seven years old. In fact as a side note, her first professional engagement was as part of the Children's choir in The West End production of Joseph and The Technicolour Dreamcoat... which was also my first (and last) professional engagement in the West End!



Anyway, the story followed the traditional panto version of Cinderella, there were the mean deluded and ugly stepsisters "Bootylicious" Britney and "Willowy" Whitney (the wonderful Chris Dennis and equally wonderful David Langham), Buttons suffering from unrequited love for Cinderella(*The* Bobby Davro), a fairy Godmother (Anthea "I-did-a-conga-with-'Daddy'-during-GMTV's-Get-up-and-Give-week-in-1995" Turner), A Prince Charming (Anthony "I can make you feel good" Kavana, who is blooming sexy btw!), Man servant Dandini (the perfect Chris Nelson) and of course Cinderella's Dad Baron Hardup who had just returned with the ugly stepsisters from America and had a rather strong American accent... but then that could of been because he was being played by Mickey Rooney!



Another little side note, when I took my Spanish GCSE, one of the questions we had to prepare an answer for was who did we respect. My still memorised answer was;
"Me gusta el actor estadounidense Mickey Rooney, que jugó Mi Taylor en "National Velvet". Creo que es un actor maravilloso."
Which translates as;
"I like the American actor Mickey Rooney, who played Mi Taylor in "National Velvet". I think he is a wonderful actor."
I like to think that the reason I scored low on my GCSE Spanish oral exam was because my Teacher had no clue as to who I was talking about, and not because my Spanish accent was/is terrible.

Top Ender sat transfixed for the entire first act and could only be dragged away from her seat in the interval to visit the toilet on the condition that she could have an ice-cream when she returned, and that she wouldn't miss the second act! She found the whole spectacle to be an amazing experience and was delighted with the inclusion of the last song of the night High School Musicals "We're all in this Together". She thought the costumes to be divine (they were), the sets to be amazing (they were) and the jokes that didn't fly over her head (which I am so happy did the last thing I need is a repeat of the Sausage incident) to be laugh out loud funny.

Baby Boy stood for most of the first act, dancing along to the music, shouting at the appropriate times and chatting up the lady who was sat in front of him. If the lady who was sat in front of him is reading this, you made his night by chatting back before the show started and I really am sorry if you found popcorn in your hair when you went home. The majority of the second act was missed by Baby Boy as he went to sleep on my knee just before the Interval... only to awake in the Second act to shout "Boo, hiss" as we had rehearsed earlier in the day. The lady sitting next to me thought this was marvellous, especially as he snuggled back down and went to sleep again after.

Daddy was impressed that the writer Eric Potts (You know Diggory Compton the baker in Coronation Street) had written 14 of the Pantos being shown around the UK this year and found Bobby Davro's topical jokes (the ones that were luckily flying over Top Enders head) to be very amusing as well as finding out that Bobby Davro, beloved entertainer has a fantastic singing voice. We have both been doing impressions of him since we left the Theatre!



I found the whole production to be laugh out loud funny, and even the good natured heckles didn't phase the actors who just rolled them into the dialogue and giggled along with us at the slip of the tongues and odd mess up of lines. Two local cast members (who won a MK Got Talent style contest) made me proud to be from MK and the sponsorship by Robinsons (Remember Top Enders review of the Put on a Panto site?) caused a good giggle from the Adult Audience members when mentioned by The Ugly Sisters in an attempt to get the sponsorship projections turned off in the second act! There is no doubt that The Ugly Sisters and Bobby Davro were the Show stealers (and the ones involved in talking most to the Audience) although Louise Dearman's impression of Stacey from this years X Factor was hilarious!



As is usual there was a fair amount of audience participation and The Ugly Step-Sisters "picked" upon one female audience member who turned out to be a family friend (her two eldest daughters were two of my bridesmaids!) and she and her family ranging from 70 something to 7(ish) all enjoyed the show too, even though they were "picked" upon the whole evening and I have to mention because I know she reads this blog that we knew the female 70 year old something had a nice "Ooh and Aah" but its official now because Bobby Davro said so!

Cinderella is on at Milton Keynes Theatre Now until Daddy's Birthday, (otherwise known as The 17th January 2010) Tickets range between £17 and £29 depending on where you sit and of course when you go. So go and buy tickets now and tell them I sent you and that we are incredibly grateful for our tickets and we are looking forward to Jack and The Bean Stalk next year!

Of course the whole point of The Great Panto Review series and all the hard work being put into helping bloggers get the tickets for them and their families was to help children with cancer through the charity NACCPO. There is a target of £1,000 and we are asking those who can to support this by visiting the JustGiving page at www.justgiving.com/Havealovelytime


And the last thought of the night came from Daddy who commented;

"Well honey, you might of gone to school with Louise Dearman, but you haven't got a signed photo of Anthea Turner now have you?"

He has me there, a signed photo of Anthea Turner is something I don't have... now where did I put that signed photo of Louise Dearman?