Keris Stainton's Blog, page 53

New blog: Picture Book Shelf

I can't remember if I've mentioned this or not, so let's just assume I haven't.

A while ago I started a new blog with Liz of My Favourite Books and Vicki from Heaven, Hell & Purgatory and it's all about picture books.

I wanted to write about picture books mainly because I read so many with Joe and I love them, but also because Zoe, of the absolutely fabulous Playing by the Book, noticed there aren't many picture book blogs out there and that just seemed wrong.

So please have a read, let me know what you think, and I'd love to hear your picture book recommendations.

Picture Book Shelf

Please help with my Christmas present conundrum

I've just been to have a look at the presents I've got for Harry and Joe and now I'm a teensy bit stressed. Now, I'm not too stressed because I know Harry will be grateful for everything he gets (that's not to say he won't say "What about…" whatever thing he thinks he's getting that I haven't got him – my best guess would be a DS), but I just don't know how to balance the presents between us and Father Christmas.

Because Harry's my best bud, he's actually been with me when I've been buying presents for Joe. In a few cases, he's actually picked the present for Joe and I've put it away "for Christmas." So I can't label any of those presents from Father Christmas because Harry will know.

Then there's the fact that Joe's main present is actually from Harry. If you follow me on Twitter you will know that Harry was saving up to buy something for himself but then decided to spend it on a present for Joe. It was £50 and it's huge, so is now Joe's "main" present and therefore another one that can't come from Santa. This means we've had to get Harry a big present from Joe so Harry's main present is also not from Santa. Or from us.

It's making my head hurt just thinking about it.

I know it doesn't really matter – and I know this is probably the last year that Harry will believe anyway – but I remember how thrilling it was waking up on Christmas morning and having that pile of presents that I truly believed a man in a red suit had delivered down the chimney. I want Harry to believe that. But I don't want it enough to go and buy him and Joe a bunch of extra things they don't need just so I can write 'from Father Christmas' on the label. Do I?

How does everyone else do it?

Christmas lights at Dyker Heights

If you've read Dash & Lily's Book of Dares by David Levithan and Rachel Cohn (and if you haven't, you should), this is the area featured with the crazy Christmas decorations. Fabulous. (I love the deadpan voiceover.)

{via New York Daily Photo}

Paris, pigeons, towers and tears (Disney Day 4)

We'd decided to go into Paris on the Friday so we set off straight after breakfast in the rain and on a double decker train. We went for a quick look at Notre Dame and the Christmas tree and a guy held out some bread for the birds to show Harry and Joe.



While looking for a loo, we stumbled upon Shakespeare & Co and Harry and I went inside for a look. It's such a gorgeous place with nooks and crannies, sofas and desks (and daybeds) and the most fabulous writing nook with a typewriter and fairy lights. Harry loved it just as much as I did and we could've stayed there a lot longer, but instead we went back out to D and J and went for a cuppa. (Large cappuccino, small hot chocolate, one banana milkshake = 18Euros, which is basically £18. Yikes.)

I wanted to show the boys some of the gorgeous Parisian shops, so we crossed back over the river and wandered down a little street lined with bakeries and chocolate shops. Harry and I got crepes (mine was salted caramel, yum) and took a photo of us reflected in a bauble.



Joe didn't want a crepe, but he did want something, so I got him a palmier.



He ended up so utterly covered in crumbs, that I wanted to take him back to Notre Dame and give the birds an early Christmas present.

We crossed the bridge again and saw the locks all over the railings. Do you all know about this? Couples leave locks with their names on – as long as the lock stays on the bridge, the couple with stay together (probably). It looked fantastic and I could've stayed a lot longer (if it hadn't been raining and I'd been alone).

We got the train to the Eiffel Tower and walked towards it with Harry chattering about wanting to go right to the top and Joe saying, "Madeyine sit there!" (Have I mentioned that Joe pronounces his Ls as Ys? So when we got to our hotel he said, "Yook! Yoads a'yights!" [Look! Loads of lights!])

I felt incredibly lucky to be in Paris, with my boys, and for them to be excited about being there too. Happiness.

Harry and I queued and got tickets for the lift to the very top, but when we got to the second stage we realised there was a massive queue for the next lift and, if we waited, we wouldn't have time for one last quick trip into Disney, so we skipped it. The second stage was pretty damn cool though.

While Harry and I were up the Eiffel, David and Joe went on the carousel, got some lunch and then chased some pigeons…

We got a variety of trains back to Disneyland and had just over an hour to spend in the park before we had to get the coach to the airport. Harry had one request: Big Thunder Mountain. Again. The queue was too long and even the Fast Pass time was cutting it fine, so we threw ourselves on the mercy of one of the Disney staff who allowed us to go right through. Lovely. So we had one final ride and then headed back to the hotel. There were a few tears as we left the park (from Harry and then, because he was so upset, from me) and then we waved Disney goodbye.

Terror, gorillas, pirates and castles (Disney Day 3)

Joe woke up at 5.45 and was AWAKE.

"Mama, what doin'? Where Mickey"

"Sleeping. It's too early, Joe. Go back to sleep."

"What Goofy doing?"

"Sleeping."

"What Minnie doing? What Pluto doing?"

"They're all sleeping, Joe. Go back to sleep."

"What Peppa Pig doing?"

"Sleeping. But Peppa Pig's not Disney."

"Where Peppa Pig work?"

After breakfast we had a couple of wasted hours trying to go to parks or on rides that weren't open (you get a couple of "magic hours" when you stay in a Disney hotel, which means you can go into the parks before they're open to the general public, but few of the rides were actually open) and then we finally made it to Disney Studios.

Me and H went on Crush's Coaster – which we'd wanted to go on last time, but the queues were too long – and we were both disappointed. There's a cute Nemo bit at the beginning and a few seconds with projections of jellyfish, etc., but the rest of it is basically a rollercoaster in the dark. I wish there'd been more of a Nemo theme.

Harry had wanted to go on the Hollywood Tower since the last time we came and, though the idea of it horrified me, I agreed to take him. It was all so well done – fantastic attention to detail – but it was horrendous. (In the US, it's called The Twilight Zone Tower of Terror, so, you know…) Harry and I were both shaking as we staggered to the shop to buy the photo. Harry said, "We should send it as a Christmas card and put 'Have a horrifying Christmas.'" Then, as we walked to meet David and Joe, Harry said, "It's weird, but I think I enjoyed it a little bit…" I know what he means… but I'm still never going on it again.

We went on a couple of Toy Story Land rides and then stayed for the Stars in Cars Parade, hoping that Phineas & Ferb might turn up (they didn't) and then we went to the Rainforest Cafe for lunch. Joe slept through most of it, but thankfully woke up in time to see some of the animals.

As Harry posed for this photo, I said wouldn't it be funny if the one on the right just thumped him on the head. As we both looked, the one on the left turned its head towards H and H ran through the restaurant, shrieking. Heh.

David took Joe back to the hotel, while Harry and I went back to Disney to go on Pirates of the Caribbean, which I'd completely forgotten about until H reminded me – was absolutely fantastic, probably my favourite of all the rides.

Then we went on Big Thunder Mountain again and by then it was dark. It was even better in the dark. In fact, that may have been my favourite. I can't decide. Don't make me.

We met David and Joe back in the square for the tree lighting, but the wind blew the (fake) snow away from us so the boys didn't even see it, but luckily there was another (fake) snowfall on Main Street – while we waited for the Fantillusion Parade – and they loved it.

Waiting for the Fantillusion Parade

Watching the snow…

 

After the (fabulous) parade, we dashed up to the castle for some quick photos before going back to the hotel for bed (for the boys) and mulled wine (for me and D).

Girls in the Windows

Girls in the Windows by Ormond Gigli, 1960 {via not your average ordinary}

Dumbo, Flintoff, vomit and snow (Disney Day 2)

We were all awake by 6.30 and watched the park grow light through the window at breakfast. Once we'd finished stuffing our faces, we tootled over to the castle. For Joe, the castle is Disney. So whenever we were anywhere that wasn't the castle, Joe would shout "Goin' Disney!" and we'd say, "We're IN Disney!"

We went on the carousel and then the Dumbo ride, where we learned that Joe does not understand/accept the words "It's our turn next." The ride would finish, Joe would get excited, the ride would start again – without us – Joe would throw himself on the floor, sobbing. Yeesh.

David is not a fan of the Dumbo ride. The wuss.

Last time we were at Disneyland, for Harry's 5th birthday, Joe looked like this (left) and when we took him on the Peter Pan ride, he hit his face on the safety bar thing and cried and cried, while I cried along out of guilt and tried to stick my boob in his mouth to make him feel better. So I was a little wary about the Peter Pan ride again…

This time, I made sure to keep a tight hold of him and keep his little face away from the bar (also we noticed a sign this time that said children must be "ambulatory" – I bet they put that up after they realised the ride had given a 5 month old baby a fat lip). It was still a surprisingly jerky ride, but it's so lovely and the boys both loved it (and Joe didn't seem to be suffering from any terrible flashbacks, unlike me).

There was pretty much no queue at all for the Tea Cup ride so we headed over there next and then to It's a Small World. Last time, Joe was utterly unimpressed with It's a Small World and he didn't seem much keener this time.

From there we went to watch a show – Mickey's Winter Wonderland – and it was fabulous. It's such an odd thing seeing Disney characters. Even though I'm 40 and I know they're just people in costumes, I still get quite excited to see them. Not as excited as the grown woman sitting in front who waved like mad every time one of them looked in her direction though…

We started to queue for Santa's Grotto, but Harry got a strop on so I hauled him out of the queue and let David and Joe get on with it.

They ended up waiting for almost two hours. Meanwhile Harry and I went on Big Thunder Mountain and Harry LOVED it (I enjoyed it too). When David and Joe finally got out of the grotto, it started to rain, hard, so we dashed into the Cowboy Cookout for lunch.

It's stupidly expensive, but I figured it was worth it as soon as we walked in and saw Minnie and Mickey dancing together to a live band

It was still raining so we got the train back to the hotel and went to the room for a "relax." Then we heard a brass band playing Christmas carols on the balcony, so Harry, Joe and I ran out for a dance.

The boys wanted to go for a swim, so we tootled down to the indoor pool and, on the way, passed Andrew Flintoff and his wife and kids. (He is HUGE!) The pool – and jacuzzi! – were great, until the lifeguards noticed something in the water, spent quite sometime investigating and then cleared the pool. As we left, we saw one of them telling someone there'd been vomit in the water. Lovely.

Once it was dark, we went back to the park…

Harry wanted to go on the Buzz Laser Blast again, while Joe and I went to watch the tree lighting ceremony. Joe fell asleep, but I loved it, particularly the fake snow, which (despite being fake) was totally magical.

Back at the hotel, we flopped the kids into bed – Joe didn't even wake up when I transferred him from the pram – then I went up to Disney Village. I went to Starbucks intending to read over the first draft of Emma Hearts LA, but ended up making notes for a new book instead (eek!). Then I got dinner and mulled wine and went back to the hotel.

This time last week… (Disney Day 1)

5.15am, David's alarm went off.

5.30am, Harry staggered into our bedroom, said, "Is it time to get up?" climbed in bed and promptly fell back to sleep.

6.00am I woke Joe. He went from snoring to standing up and saying, "Goin' Disney?" in about five seconds.

7.30am Checked in at the airport and settled down for breakfast. I love the way Joe's looking at David on the photo.

We weren't sure how Joe was going to be on the flight – the last time we went on a plane, he was 5 months old – but he was brilliant. Chattered all the way there and laughed his head off when there was a bit of turbulence.

The seats had ashtrays in the armrests. I'm old enough to remember smoking on flights, but it still boggles my mind. Ashtrays in the armrests!

At Charles de Gaulle, first Joe and I got on the little transfer train thing, leaving Harry and David behind and then I tried to get on an escalator while holding Joe's hand, not realising he's never stood on one before. He stopped dead, but my right leg was already committed and off it went without me. After involuntarily doing the splits while also holding a scared toddler – and trying to stop him falling down the escalator! – we recovered our balance (if not our dignity). (What was David doing, you ask? I asked that too since he was right behind us. He claims there was nothing he could do. I suspect he was pretending not to be with us.)

Transfer via Vea was quick and easy and then we were there: The Disneyland Hotel.

I'd read online that one of the best things about the hotel was the smell and it was the first thing I noticed as we walked in – closely followed by the tree and an enormous gingerbread house. While I was checking us in, Chip'n'Dale arrived and Joe got totally overexcited. It was lovely. We met Eeyore too.

The room was lovely (albeit pretty similar to the room we had in the Sequoia Lodge a couple of years ago) and once the boys had checked out the TV channels and rolled about on the bed, we headed out to the park, meeting Mickey and Minnie on the way:

We got something to eat (and had our first "ouch" at the prices) then went on Buzz Lightyear's Laser Blast (I love the animatronic Buzz so much). Joe insisted on going on the Orbitron, even though it was raining by then. I ended up laughing all the way round – a face full of freezing rain! Fun! From there, we went to line up for the parade and on the way Harry said, "Middy, I can't believe you booked Disneyland…" "What do you mean?" "I can't believe you booked it – thank you!" Wibble.

It was raining pretty heavily by then and Joe had had enough and demanded to return to the hotel. So we left David and Harry and went back… where Joe immediately got a second wind and ran from bed to bed. When David and Harry got back, Harry and Joe had a bath and David went to Disney Village to get some food. He returned with burgers, pizzas and a mulled wine for me. Excellent.

And then it was bedtime. We'd figured the boys were tired enough to go straight to sleep – fools. Joe didn't want to sleep in his cot and promised to stay in bed with Harry. I got in the bath, Joe came in to say Harry was "missin' you!" D took him back to bed, Joe came back to the bathroom. D got in bed with them both, all three fell asleep. I got out of the bath, woke D, he got in the bath, Joe woke up demanding to "see Daddy!"

I put Joe in his cot, he cried. And woke Harry. I decided I may as well sleep with them both and got in bed with Joe in the middle. The novelty of this was evidently too much for Joe who started talking… and talking… and talking: "What that noise, Mama? Hear that? What that noise? Hear little girl? What little girl doing? Where little girl been? What Daddy doing? See Daddy?" and on and on. I put him in his cot, he cried. I put him back in bed, he talked. This basically went on until about 9.30 when D came to bed and Harry went and got in bed with him. Once we were all accounted for, Joe went off pretty quickly and slept soundly until about 2am when he fell headfirst out of bed. Jeez.

Young Adult trailer

You've all heard about Diablo Cody's new movie, right? Charlize Theron plays a writer of teen fiction – you know, like me? Only… Charlize Theron. Here's the trailer.

I found the trailer pretty irritating, but I like the posters:

 

(The second one is pretty much my perfect writing outfit.)

What do you think? Will you be seeing this film?

Harry's perfect typewriter

We got home late last night so we're all a bit tired and bewildered (and missing Disney…) so just a video for today.

I've been meaning to post this for ages since I saw it on my friend Helen Redfern's blog, but it seems apposite now since Harry and I went into Shakespeare & Co in Paris yesterday (gorgeous place) and he saw a typewriter in real life for the very first time (I had no idea he'd never seen one). He was fascinated and said, "We have to get one of those!" I think he might like this…