Not much in the way of photos today. We had very long Sunday of watching football in the freezing cold. I lost count of how many goals sailed past into the back of the nets. Suffice to say both teams were soundly thrashed. We were all exhausted by the end of it.
Earlier this week some Famous Writers visited a local school and the biggest two got to go and see them. I angled very hard for an invite but alas none was forthcoming. I threatened to just turn up. That was frowned upon. I said I might just hang around in the car park and look out for them. Apparently that was not okay either. I said that if it was the Beatles everyone would be doing it. I then tried to make it relevant by translating it to Justin Bieber. If Justin Bieber was coming everyone would be hanging about in the car park. I lost my audience at this point.
So I stayed away, and they met the writers, including Gill Lewis who is a huge favourite of mine and Sarah McIntyre and Philip Reeve who signed a copy of Pugs from the Frozen North for the littlest boy who is so very in love with pugs. I'm not sure that he will pick the most suitable of dogs when the time comes. He's also obsessed with brabacons which are bizarre little creatures and nowhere near robust enough to live in our house. I digress. Sarah McIntyre even drew him his own special little pug in the front of the book. His big brother, who presented him with the book, is now in such good books, no pun intended. Long may it last.
It's not long until World Book Day now. For once I believe we may actually be organised, although we will be bending the rules a little. I'm trying to persuade the middle boy into his urchin costume, which has also doubled as an evacuee and a Victorian. He can then be Simon from Black Hearts in Battersea. And the littlest boy, who received camouflaged everything for Christmas, will be going as Ray Mears. Rule bending, see. If anyone is going to bend the rules he'll be the one to do it.
On the windowsill the tomato seeds are sitting quietly in some moist compost and thinking about growing. Before too long lots more seeds of every type will join them. March is a good month for gardeners. Out with the seed box and the potting compost, the new season starts here.
Sounds like you have got the hang of school dressing up...same outfit in multiple roles! Really cross today, all set to sort some seeds, to find that the two places I tried had sold out of seed and cutting compost ...grrrrrr. Problems of island life lol. Good luck with your tomatoes. B X
ReplyDeleteEugh, World Book Day, usually it strikes the fear of god into me. But this year the kids have to go in pyjamas for a "bedtime story" day. This is brilliant and easy, although all the parents I know (including me) have been panic buying new sets of PJs as the ones our kids actually wear are too short/faded/mismatched. But still, no competitive dressing up. Phew.
ReplyDeleteHow wonderful for your boys to have the opportunity to meet such exciting authors. I suspect that day will stay with them for some time. xx
I hate World Book Day purely for the dressing up thing - I work in a school! Luckily, I don't have to tomorrow - we're not dressing up, there's something puppet related happening instead (I don't know what exactly!).
ReplyDeleteI'd not heard of Gill Lewis before but I love the look of Sky Hawk! That's another for the list.
I think you should have offered to volunteer to help the teacher with the book day.. I enjoy buying books from the authors who will autograph them for you. I have several signed book in the Clan of the Cave Bear series by local author Jean Auel. Have fun with the dressing up event. ((hugs)), Teresa :-)
ReplyDeleteI think World Book Day could be fun but the costumes sound like a big commitment. I don't think either of my children would know who Justin Bieber was if I invoked his name. Weird Al, yes. He's still very popular around here. I like the look of that pug book. Pugs are such strange little dogs. My sister had one that she had to give away because it destroyed her furniture. It was cute, though...at first. :)
ReplyDeleteExcept for the panic of costume planning, I would love celebrating World Book Day, I think. I am so excited that your boys got to meet some favorite authors...but sorry you could not tag along. My long time friend rescues pugs who have had unhappy homes, and makes them welcome and loved in her home...it will be interesting to see what breed you end up welcoming into your home one day! Wishing you good gardening xx
ReplyDeleteI'm with you in the seed sewing. Ironically now that my elder two have left school and the youngest is in secondary I am better equipped to make costumes than I ever was, what with the sewing machine and all. Xx
ReplyDeleteWow, such a great day for your boys, like you I am wishing I could have been there. I have just started the seeds too, let the garden season commence.
ReplyDeleteRay Mears!! Genius!! Thank you, thankyou. You just saved my bacon!!!
ReplyDeleteHow very exciting for your boys. I had a similar experience in my first year of secondary school. I think it was Roald Dahl who visited & we had to draw a picture of a comical monster to be picked. I've never had the best of organization skills so ripped out page of an exercise book it was. Lack of organization passed onto World book day & seed sowing. I'm glad I don't have to find the right costume now though but my fingers are now itching to sow some seeds xx
ReplyDeleteso glad we don't have to do world book day anymore.......
ReplyDeleteE loves pugs too. I quite like their faces but not their funny little tails that reveal too much backside! Still haven't got around to clearing out the greenhouse - must really do it this weekend if you're sowing seeds already (I think I'll be using your blog as my gardening guide this year!). Excellent repurposing of outfits for world book day. That's one thing about my daughters being little that I don't miss. We were quite fond of going as an anthology - ie. wearing any old bits and bobs we had that could possibly be related to any book we could think of. Happy gardening. xx
ReplyDeleteI am ashamed to admit I am completely unfamiliar with all these authors. I must pull my head out of the sand and start to pay attention. How sweet of big brother to get a book for the little one, pugs cartoon and all. World book day: my children are going to school as school children, both of the little ones said they didn't feel like dressing up. I am feeling a little guilty for not making more of an effort. Alistair briefly suggested Spiderman but I ignored it. I am off to google barbicans now. xx
ReplyDeleteI didn't expect to see a dog breed :-) Brabacon is a name for a mythical creature, or so I thought.
DeleteHow mean of the school not to let you in - you'd think they'd be keen to get parents involved, especially those with a love of books. Ah well, even if you were disappointed, the boys weren't so a bit of top result there. I love the look of that book 'Pugs in the North' - it's the sort of thing my boy would have liked when little. And I fully approve of having multi-tasking dressing up; I used to do that all the time! (A black home-made cape covered Dracula, Cap'n Bluebeard, Zorro, highwayman - and is now doing duty as a witch's cape for my nieces!) Impressed with your tomato sowing. Am off to do same today! Caro xx
ReplyDeleteWe once booked Robert Swindells to come to school for World Book Week. Imagine the scene 200+ children and attending adults waiting patiently in the school hall. Waiting, waiting and waiting. Apparently the dates had been mixed up either by him or the teacher who booked him and had since left. Eventually he did visit in a different day.
ReplyDeletePhilip Reeve! Wonderful! When my children were younger they enjoyed his novels. In fact, my son wrote a book report on the same Philip Reeve book three years in a row. This did not sit well with me, but it's become a family joke, and now that my boy is in college, we ask him if he's written his Mortal Engines book report for the semester yet.
ReplyDeleteMaybe it's different in the US, but parents are often expected to be present at big school events to provide assistance. I'm sorry you had to miss the fun.
We have planted tomato seeds this week too! It is so good when the children can meet the authors! Hope World Book day went off without any hitches. I enjoyed your post on SR's blog. Sarah x
ReplyDeleteAww World Book Day. Fantastic and who isn't mad about Pugs? They need to be converted quickly!Oh the soccer or football as you say, it is never ending!
ReplyDeletehaha Had to chuckle at you trying to maneuver you way out of the house and into the book event. Too funny. Sounds like it was a great time overall. Love your photo of the plants. I'm so looking forward to the season arriving. :)
ReplyDeleteLovely photos of the children's books, cute Teddy and your tomato seeds waiting to sprout.
ReplyDeleteHow great for the boys to meet the writers and to sign their books for them and how sweet of Sarah McIntyre to draw the Pug dog in your littlest boys book, he must have been so excited.
Happy weekend!
xoxoxo ♡
Author visits to school can be very exciting. My eldest's school had a visit from Henry Winkler a few years back – they had never heard of Happy Days, so no idea he was the legendary Fonzie. Sigh. I'm very impressed by your neatly handwritten seed labels... Sam x
ReplyDeleteI'm trying very hard to leave sowing any tomato seeds to the end of the month.
ReplyDeleteHave I mentioned how much I used to hate the 'Disneyfication' of WBD? Mine used to organise their own dressing up costumes which was priceless. I don't think I'm going to bother sowing tomato seeds this year. I may relent after Easter but honestly in 16 years I've only had one decent crop (2006). Last year was blight-free but the tomatoes grown outside in the ground at the allotment were tasteless and I'd rather bring home flowers than be up to my elbows making green tomato chutney. Hope it's a dry weekend for football CJ.
ReplyDeleteLoved that picture of Teddy, well worn and well loved, in his rightful position of importance on that lovely blanket you made. Summed up that brief time in childhood for me, when you can still grab a cuddle, and get a kiss goodnight, without too much eye-rolling, and the deepest of sighs. And maybe another milestone almost on the page, that special thing that grows between a boy and his dog ? Sometimes, I guess, you don't always fall in love with what the rest of the world deems the right choice, but that doesn't mean your littlest boy and his pug wouldn't be just perfect for each other. Unconditional love seems to me to be a pretty good foundation for their adventures together, and they might just surprise you - although maybe pulling a sled in the North might be pushing it a bit! I enjoy these little glimpses into your lives so much, and the memories they awaken from my own days as a mum to a little'un. Thank you.
ReplyDeleteThis brings back memories of World Book day when my boys were small and the many costumes... And rule bending!
ReplyDeleteOur windowsills are thronged with tomato seeds again along with some sunflower seeds which have somehow sneaked in as part of a "who can grow the tallest sunflower" competition at my husbands work.
ReplyDeleteI can hardly wait to start gardening! It probably will be in May. It is so great to see parents instilling the love for books in their children. Wishing you a good week ahead!
ReplyDeleteI love that the authors came to the school and took time with the students, how lovely! I would want to meet them too, I would have been trying to hang out in the parking lot to catch a glimpse of them.
ReplyDeleteHugs,
Meredith
Pugs are favourite here too, I'm going to have to get a copy of Pugs of the Frozen North, it looks right up our street. Aren't brabacons peculiar? Sort of fine-boned pug-looking. I think pugs are quite robust, aren't they? Our visiting pug Reg was a chunky thing. Good thinking for WBD costumes. I refuse to buy stuff for these, instead use what we've got at home and be creative. xx
ReplyDeleteOh you have just conjured up a memory for me there - the smell of sungold tomato plants when fully ripe and warmed by the heat of the sun. I used to grow them every year in our old lean-to conservatory-cum-greenhouse, the tomatoes are sooooo sweet and the smell of the plants make me feel nostalgic for the time when my now-teen was just a toddler. How time flies.....
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