The Tooth Fairy - A Film I like by Top Ender

Hi Everyone this is Top Ender.

Mummy has said that I can tell you about a film that I really liked that is going to be out on DVD on the 20th September called The Tooth Fairy.

When I saw bits of this film on the television I wanted to go to the cinema to see it and so Mummy took me as Daddy said that he didn't want to see it. I made Mummy take me two times because I loved it so much. The film is about a man who is an ice hockey player who is called The Tooth Fairy because he bangs into people when he is playing and their teeth fall out.

When he is mean to his girlfriends children he gets punished and turned into a real tooth fairy! It's meant to be a punishment, but I think that he likes it after a while and I would love to be a tooth fairy. Mummy says I can't tell you how it ends because you might not of seen it and it wouldn't be fair. I am going to ask Father Christmas to bring me a copy for Christmas, and if you haven't seen it by then you can come round and watch it with me.

I am going to let Mummy tell you the rest now.

Top Ender really loved this film and even I sat through it twice, and the second time I didn't buy popcorn so it can't be all that bad. It is a sweet story and we probably will buy it on DVD for Top Ender as a stocking gift, just don't tell her! It is the sort of film that children will love, because of the comedy and simplicity of the storyline and would be perfect Sunday afternoon viewing when you are trying to digest the roast.

The Tooth Fairy starring Dwayne Johnson will be out to buy on DVD and Blu-ray on 20th September 2010 at a cost of £19.99 and £24.99 respectively. Its a PG and the lovely Julie Andrews and Stephen Merchant also star with Dwayne Johnson and there is a cameo from Billy Crystal.

Family Fun on a Budget

Reading this blog you might think that we don't know about having Family Fun on a Budget as at the moment it seems that every other weekend we are at a show or at the cinema, or on a day trip as a family and it must seem like we have money to burn, but its not true. Its just that with a bit of careful planning we are able to budget for events like I have mentioned but we intersperse them with events and days out that cost nothing or next to nothing, such as the ones that I have talked about before in my post Eight things to do on a small Entertainment fund but are still packed full of fun! This weekend we don't have anything major planned, but you can be sure that we will be doing a few of the following!

We love to bake together as a family, and this is a great way of doing something fun on a small amount of money. Plus you get to eat it afterwards! Something that I love to do is to make cornflake cakes (melt chocolate and stir in cornflakes, put a generous spoonful into a cake case and leave to set) and then whip them out whilst we are waiting for our cup cakes to cook.

We love going for walks, we are lucky that we have a great local Parks Trust that maintains local parks and green areas. It could be though that you just walk to the local shop and buy everyone a small sweet, or take a walk to the local park. If you all have wellies why not even go if it has been raining and puddle jump at the same time?!

The local park is really great for burning off some energy and is a great way to have some fun. Top Ender and Baby Boy love when we get on the roundabout or the swings or slide with them and so do we! Plus according to that study that Brainiacs did (It was Scientific!) a half hour in the park on the equipment burns more calories than a half hour in the Gym.

Going round a Shop or a Supermarket might seem like an odd place for Family Fun, but most Supermarkets these days have aisles dedicated to toys and household goods. Its a great place to window shop for things that you might like... not that we do that in Ikea or anything!

Search the Internet for free things to do, there are lots of sites that list places such as Skillscape, and Silver Cross Days Out that list places that other parents have recommended. It might be that you get to go to an Outdoor Cinema, an Airshow, or pick some fruit but there is bound to be something to suit your budget!

I don't know many people who pay much attention to flyers and vouchers in the UK. It seems to me that our friends in the USA and Canada are much more savvy at this sort of thing, but there are savings to be had on most days out. There is a funfair at Willen Lake at the moment, and at £1.50 per person per ride it soon adds up but a flyer I found in a local pub gives vouchers for 50p off any ride. I picked up two flyers (one for Top Ender and one for Baby Boy) and now Top Ender and Baby Boy will be able to go on two more rides than we would of originally budgeted for!

Make use of cinema discounts (such as Orange Wednesday, half price Tuesday or movies for juniors) or have fun and make your living room into the cinema. Shutting the curtains, making movie tickets and having Cinema style snacks is a great laugh, and a good way to have a sneaky snooze or snog when the kids aren't looking...

And if you get really stuck for something to do why not try looking for ideas on Disney's What shall we do today. We love the ideas on the website and quite often have a quick visit to get a game or idea!

Top Ender Giggles - Thats my girl!

As it is half term Top Ender has been allowed to stay up late to watch films and spend time with us before going to bed. Tonight she and Daddy were watching The Golden Compass whilst I worked.

At one point Daddy was a little lost with what was going on and asked

"What is in the bag?"
"Well Daddy if you weren't busy playing on your phone you wouldn't of missed it would you!"

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!

Christmas Celebrations Kick Off!

This weekend is going to be a busy one for us, as it really kicks off our Christmas celebrations.

Daddy is at work, but Top Ender, Baby Boy and I will be going to Top Enders Christmas fair this afternoon (its seems to be a tradition that Daddy is at work the day of the fair!) and then Top Ender is going to stay at Granny's for the night as she hasn't had a sleep over for some time!

Whilst Top Ender is at Granny's St Nicholas should come and leave sweets unless she has been naughty of course, in which case a tree branch is all that she will get. Of course if Baby Boy, Daddy and I have been good enough he will stop here too!

Sunday morning Top Ender is coming back over with Granny, Auntie, Cousin and Baby Cousin as we are all going to the Dobbies Christmas Breakfast with Santa. We went to the Easter breakfast with the Easter Bunny earlier this year and enjoyed ourselves so much we thought we should go to see Santa too.

After we have spent the morning with Santa we are going to come home for Hot Chocolate (with Whipped cream and marshmallows!) and some lunch before we head off to our Drive-Thru movie in the afternoon. I have brought a new Christmas CD to listen to in the car on our way to the Drive-Thru, and so there will be a lot of Carol Singing and classic Christmas songs!

We are going to have sandwiches, popcorn and chocolate and other snacks instead of a "proper" dinner whilst we are at the movies. I shall make up a big picnic for us all and make sure that I include lots of Christmas type foods and drinks. We are also going to set up a little playpen in the boot of the car for Baby Boy to play in, as we can fold one of the seats down so if he gets bored of the film he can have a play in the boot!

If we are then very lucky we should be going for a drive through London to see the Christmas Lights, but as it will be late we won't be going to the Winter Wonderland at Hyde Park... we need to save something for another day!

So I wish everyone here a good weekend and hope you have as much fun as we plan to!

Top Ender Does Panto... "Oh yes she does!"

This is a special post by Top Ender, (Oh No it isn't! Mummy stop adding things and Oh Yes it is!) Mummy has typed what I have told her to say, but she has added pictures and stuff. Mummy also wants to talk at the end.



Last week we finished up our bottle of Blackcurrant that we had been given by Nanny B. On the label it said that I could Put on a Panto. I know all about Panto's as Mummy has told me about them as we are going to go and see Cinderella at the Milton Keynes Theatre as part of the Have A Lovely Time series "The Great British Panto, 2009".



So I got Mummy to take me to the website that is here and followed all the steps to get my own panto of Snow White. I thought that as I was going to see Cinderella that I should do another one, and I like Snow White.



I asked Mummy if she would be the Beautiful Evil Queen as I would be Snow White and I was going to phone up Daddy at work and ask if he would be in my panto too, but Mummy pointed out that even with us all playing a part we still wouldn't have enough people and so I would need to ask some more people.



I thought about this for ages and then decided that I would play all the parts using puppets! Mummy is going to help me make the puppets and a special theatre made out of a box, which she said we would paint red and white stripped like a Punch and Judy tent. I decided that if I used the laptop in my tent, I would be able to use the Autocue 5000T to do all the voices, and that way I wouldn't have to worry about not being able to read the script.



I am really excited and Mummy said she will record our Panto so that we can send it to Nanny B at Christmas as it was her bottle of Juice that gave us the idea! I am off to draw my puppets!

Mummy here (Boo Hiss!), Top Ender is really excited about this Panto and so if I can I will edit a small amount to be shown on here in the run up to Christmas... but you might need to wait until Daddy is around as I have no clue how to do it!

The Robinsons Website is great and Top Ender was easily able to navigate it, and understand what she was supposed to do. I would recommend it to anyone (in fact I already have in the School playground) and if you think outside the box like Top Ender it is easy for those who are younger to be involved in the Panto production too!

Top Ender Giggles - They said what?

In the summer we went to an Open Air showing of the Film Grease and Top Ender loved it. The soundtrack has made its way into the car, so we can listen to it there and it was only when we started listening as a family that Daddy and I realised just how grown up this film is and began dreading the day Top Ender asked for clarification on the lyrics.

We were listening and singing along to the song "Greased Lightning", for those of you who don't know these are the lyrics;

Go, greased lightning, you're burning up the quarter mile.

Greased lightning, go greased lightning.

Go, greased lightning, you're coasting through the heat lap trials.

Greased lightning go greased lightning.

You are supreme, the chicks'll cream, for greased lightning.

Yeah, you read right.

What was that last bit" asked Top Ender as Daddy and I stared at each other wide eyed

"Jigsaw cream!" answered Daddy "You know cream that you put on Jigsaws" he added

"Oh!" said Top Ender whilst I tried to silently giggle, but made odd squeaking noises instead

"Jigsaw cream" said Daddy reassuringly to Top Ender and looking at me in a beseeching way.

A few seconds passed when we heard "Huh? Jigsaw cream?" from a whispering Top Ender.

It's in my Genes!

Something has happened that has made me feel quite proud; Especially as I didn't set out to do it... I'm a cool and fun parent, and it isn't just me and my kids who think it!

Look me being cool at ten past Midnight!

I think there must be a cool/fun parent gene as my parents were cool and from tales I have been told I think both my parents, parents were "cool" too. There are two events which stand out as being the height of cool.

The first is the Christmas my parents cleared it with my friends parents, without my friends knowing, that they could have some eggnog as part of our little party. My friends were all about the alcohol, even at the tender age of ten. The second was a sleepover my sister had where they were allowed to watch a "horror" movie (I think it was The Lost Boys). At the time my parents were renovating and there was a 4 inch gap between the ceiling and a non supporting wall. My parents standing on chairs caused more screams that night from the group of girls than a group of girls at an East17 concert...

It all started because once a week (on a Friday) Top Ender, Baby Boy and I curl up on the sofa after a special dinner of Pizza and curly fries (well I eat the pizza, they eat both the pizza and fries) and watch a movie together.

We call it Mummy-Daughter-Son Date Night.

This week we will be able to snuggle under our Slanket, thanks to my photo of me with Baby Boys PJ's on my head, but that is a story for another day. I will also have to rescue said Slanket from Top Enders bed. I haven't had a look in since she opened the parcel.

Anyway, back to the original story. One of Top Enders classmates (lets call him Ernie as he is an earnest little chap) has managed to wangle an invite to one of these nights in the near future after hearing Top Ender and I talk about it after school.

"You mean you eat chips and pizza and have sweets every week?" Ernie asked
"Yes" I said
"And you watch a film instead of your programmes?" Ernie asked
"Yes" I said
"And Top Ender gets to stay up late?" Ernie asked
"Yes" I said
"Can I come to one???" Ernie asked
"We can see if we can arrange something with Mummy" I said

His Mum (High Heels Mum) has already told me that she is often told "Top Enders Mum this...", and "Top Enders Mum that..." and that the Christmas gifts that Top Ender gave out last year (home made shaped chocolate and lolly pops) were talked about until about Easter, so it seems that hearing about our nights in was the icing on the cake for him.

You have to admit this is pretty good icing on a cake!

I know that I previously talked about things to do on a small budget here which are things that I think are cool and in the next few days you are going to be treated to the places to eat on a small budget post, which I know Top Ender thinks is cool, but I think that I am going to have to start seriously thinking of cool things for me and the family to do... I can't lose my status now can I!

Top Ender Giggles - Sharing memories

Last Saturday we all went to see an Open Air Film Festival showing of Grease.

On the way to the screening we had explained to Top Ender that the film we were going to see was as old as Mummy and Daddy (well actually its older than me but you know ;o) ) and was what would of been our equivalent of High School Musical.

She sat for the most part enthralled and it was on the way out that we asked her what she thought

"Did you like it Top Ender?" I asked, hoping that she did so I could put the DVD on at some point
"No, I didn't like it" she answered
"Oh" said Daddy and I disappointed and wondering if our singing had put her off
"I loved it!" she squeaked

Phew!