I once said to a woman "I don't know what it's called", then felt bad I couldn't help her and tried to make light of it, joking "I have that thing where you can't remember names".
She looked me in the eye "Anomic Dysphasia?".
I was so stunned that she knew the name I got really excited, which she took to be because she'd reminded me of what it was called and I didn't have the heart to explain. Besides, I'd never see her again....probably....
7 years later that woman still thinks I can't remember names due to an actual medical condition......and I can't for the life of me remember her name....
Tuesday, 22 January 2013
Monday, 21 January 2013
Boring snow post
I can't help myself, I really can't. I tried to stop myself posting a snow picture, and I've held on for nearly 24 hours now, but it's beaten me.
Snow is just far too much fun. When else can you peg something hard and stingy directly at the face of someone you don't really like, and all they can do is smile politely? What other opportunities arise where children learn so quickly that you are nearly always right - 'yes, you do need a jumper under your coat', 'wellies WILL be better than shoes', and 'gloves, even if they're those weird ones with flip over bits on the fingers, are better than no gloves'. When else do you get to make something that doesn't answer back, brings out the competitive creative streak in you and breaks a smile on the face of the people who see it (which is a lot of people if your garden is next to a Churchyard).
I love snow, I'd happily have more of it, so here is this years best effort ~ note the use of red/white potatoes to make actual eyeballs with pupils....stroke of creative genius obviously.... :)
Wednesday, 16 January 2013
Orchard Toys Reviews ~ Part II ~ Where's My Cupcake and What A Performance
Because we love Orchard Toys games it's no surprise that we asked Santa to bring some for Christmas.
We took advantage of the free postage for orders over £15 and ordered Where's My Cupcake? and What A Performance, which had both come highly recommended at Playfest on Twitter and Facebook. Where's My Cupcake was mainly for boy no.4, who is 3 in March, and What A Performance was for the whole family to play together. As with all Orchard Toys games and puzzles they are designed and manufactured in the UK from strong 100% recycled board. They have really bright colours, modern pictures and chunky pieces that don't bend or come apart during even quite boisterous play. They are built to be played with, and built to last.
We took advantage of the free postage for orders over £15 and ordered Where's My Cupcake? and What A Performance, which had both come highly recommended at Playfest on Twitter and Facebook. Where's My Cupcake was mainly for boy no.4, who is 3 in March, and What A Performance was for the whole family to play together. As with all Orchard Toys games and puzzles they are designed and manufactured in the UK from strong 100% recycled board. They have really bright colours, modern pictures and chunky pieces that don't bend or come apart during even quite boisterous play. They are built to be played with, and built to last.
Izziwizzi Kids and Play Fest - Your Chance to be a Reviewer!
Izziwizzi Kids is the brainchild of a lady named Al Boxall-Gordon - here is what it's all about, in her own words:
IzziwizziKids.co.uk was born way back in 2005 when Al Boxall-Gordon (a new mum at the time) who was finding world surrounding children, toys and play frustrating. At that time the emphasis on toys and play seemed to be very much centred around what was most profitable, rather than why different types of play were important and stimulating different types of play. And so it was…IzziwizziKids.co.uk was born originally as an e-commerce store, moving into online TV offering alternative toys and gifts that followed a new set of rules.
IzziwizziKids.co.uk was born way back in 2005 when Al Boxall-Gordon (a new mum at the time) who was finding world surrounding children, toys and play frustrating. At that time the emphasis on toys and play seemed to be very much centred around what was most profitable, rather than why different types of play were important and stimulating different types of play. And so it was…IzziwizziKids.co.uk was born originally as an e-commerce store, moving into online TV offering alternative toys and gifts that followed a new set of rules.
Monday, 14 January 2013
Saturday, 12 January 2013
Orchard Toys Reviews - Three Little Pigs And Old MacDonald Lotto Games
We love Orchard Toys here, and having used them previously as a childminder and in a nursery, I know that they are really popular games and puzzles which can encourage even the quietest child to start talking and join in.
We were lucky enough to review both the Three Little Pigs and Old MacDonald Lotto for Izziwizzi Kids Playfest. As with all Orchard Toys games and puzzles they are designed and manufactured in the UK from strong 100% recycled board. They have really bright colours, modern pictures and chunky pieces that don't bend or come apart during even quite boisterous play. They are built to be played with, and built to last.
Three Little Pigs ~ Age 3-6
The Three Little Pigs game retails at £11.75. It is suitable for 2-4 players and the suggested age range is 3-6. It is perfect for nursery or pre-school aged children who are learning to count, and beginning to become confident with numbers. It teaches turn-taking and basic game play, and also the concepts of winning and losing via a more indirect path, as a player can be 'winning' but then have a couple of unlucky throws and fall back.
We loved the 3D nature of this game, the little pig characters and the houses made it really tactile and held the interest of the younger children, they were also excellent for encouraging a little imaginative play!
Old MacDonald Lotto ~ Age 2-6
Old MacDonald Lotto retails at £9.50. It is suitable for 2-4 players and the suggested age range is 2-6.
This game is ideal for a younger child who is learning to turn take and play games. It teaches recognition of different animals and objects, and their corresponding actions or sounds, expanding a child's vocabulary and increasing their confidence. It encourages observation, memory and matching skills.
The aim of the game is to collect all of the matching cards shown on your lotto board before the other players. If you find a matching card you then perform an action or sound that corresponds with that card before placing it on your board.
Our 2 year old especially was delighted with this game and felt really special that we have a game he can play on an almost even level with his older siblings. He very quickly learnt all of the names for the objects which appear, from the very familiar through to 'woodpecker' and 'milk churn' which are not so commonplace.
He picked up the idea of taking turns very quickly, although found it harder when there were 4 players and spent a lot of time being confused as to when it was his turn, but it was all good. We liked that we could change the game slightly to match the ability and interest of the children playing. When the 2 year old played he really liked the 'farmer' characters, so we let him choose one before we even started, otherwise he couldn't concentrate on the game because he was too keen to, in his words 'choose a player'!
We were lucky enough to review both the Three Little Pigs and Old MacDonald Lotto for Izziwizzi Kids Playfest. As with all Orchard Toys games and puzzles they are designed and manufactured in the UK from strong 100% recycled board. They have really bright colours, modern pictures and chunky pieces that don't bend or come apart during even quite boisterous play. They are built to be played with, and built to last.
Three Little Pigs ~ Age 3-6
The Three Little Pigs game retails at £11.75. It is suitable for 2-4 players and the suggested age range is 3-6. It is perfect for nursery or pre-school aged children who are learning to count, and beginning to become confident with numbers. It teaches turn-taking and basic game play, and also the concepts of winning and losing via a more indirect path, as a player can be 'winning' but then have a couple of unlucky throws and fall back.
We loved the 3D nature of this game, the little pig characters and the houses made it really tactile and held the interest of the younger children, they were also excellent for encouraging a little imaginative play!
Old MacDonald Lotto ~ Age 2-6
Old MacDonald Lotto retails at £9.50. It is suitable for 2-4 players and the suggested age range is 2-6.
This game is ideal for a younger child who is learning to turn take and play games. It teaches recognition of different animals and objects, and their corresponding actions or sounds, expanding a child's vocabulary and increasing their confidence. It encourages observation, memory and matching skills.
The aim of the game is to collect all of the matching cards shown on your lotto board before the other players. If you find a matching card you then perform an action or sound that corresponds with that card before placing it on your board.
Our 2 year old especially was delighted with this game and felt really special that we have a game he can play on an almost even level with his older siblings. He very quickly learnt all of the names for the objects which appear, from the very familiar through to 'woodpecker' and 'milk churn' which are not so commonplace.
He picked up the idea of taking turns very quickly, although found it harder when there were 4 players and spent a lot of time being confused as to when it was his turn, but it was all good. We liked that we could change the game slightly to match the ability and interest of the children playing. When the 2 year old played he really liked the 'farmer' characters, so we let him choose one before we even started, otherwise he couldn't concentrate on the game because he was too keen to, in his words 'choose a player'!
Orchard Toys are available direct from www.orchardtoys.com , or if you prefer to shop offline you can find your nearest stockist on their website
We were lucky enough to be sent these games to review, but the opinions and reviews are our own genuine thoughts.
Tuesday, 8 January 2013
Be A Knight - Do It Right!
I have several video reviews of toys from the last 3 months of last year which I will post up here in due course. The first is a review of the Mike The Knight Deluxe Glendragon Castle Playset by Character Options that I made for Izziwizi Kids Play Fest. The review was due in the day after my package finally arrived, so I had to film it alone using my camera, rather than waiting to use my partner and their mobile phone, which gives a much better quality result, so please excuse the poor quality...(my poor little 6 year old camera has been blown into obsolescence by a telephone...*sob*)
This playset features Mike The Knight's castle home in the Kingdom of Glendragon and comes complete with Mike and his horse Galahad, a treasure chest and plenty of straw. It has a secret slide under Mike's bed which transports Mike straight downstairs to Galahad and a hidden compartment in the floor where Mike can store his treasure. Mike is very rubbery and bendy and we liked that because we think he will last a lot longer than if he was made of stiff plastic!
My 2 youngest boys really enjoy playing with this set and it is brilliant for telling stories, comprehension and make believe. They really enjoy small world play and we found that this set was a perfect size for playing along with Playmobil, Fisher Price and other characters and accessories that we already had. We were also lucky in that Santa Claus thought it was a good idea this Christmas to bring a couple of the add-on playsets which are also available to extend play and introduce other characters from the BBC childrens' programme.
Overall this playset has given them hours of fun, and the additional sets make it great for more than one child to play together. The RRP of £29.99 is high, but the additional sets are far less expensive and make a really large toy.
We were lucky enough to be sent this toy to review, but the opinions and reviews are our own genuine thoughts.
The Mike The Knight Deluxe Glendragon Playset by Character Options
This playset features Mike The Knight's castle home in the Kingdom of Glendragon and comes complete with Mike and his horse Galahad, a treasure chest and plenty of straw. It has a secret slide under Mike's bed which transports Mike straight downstairs to Galahad and a hidden compartment in the floor where Mike can store his treasure. Mike is very rubbery and bendy and we liked that because we think he will last a lot longer than if he was made of stiff plastic!
My 2 youngest boys really enjoy playing with this set and it is brilliant for telling stories, comprehension and make believe. They really enjoy small world play and we found that this set was a perfect size for playing along with Playmobil, Fisher Price and other characters and accessories that we already had. We were also lucky in that Santa Claus thought it was a good idea this Christmas to bring a couple of the add-on playsets which are also available to extend play and introduce other characters from the BBC childrens' programme.
Overall this playset has given them hours of fun, and the additional sets make it great for more than one child to play together. The RRP of £29.99 is high, but the additional sets are far less expensive and make a really large toy.
We were lucky enough to be sent this toy to review, but the opinions and reviews are our own genuine thoughts.
Sunday, 6 January 2013
Next Christmas
So all the decorations are away and mainly back in the loft. We've found at least 8 stray baubles since we taped up the box, so they'll sit in a drawer with last years finds - which we forgot to fetch and put out with the rest (at this rate we'll have more in the drawer than on the tree by 2017).
Boy no.3 is 4 and this year was the first that we thought he understood all about Christmas and was able to enjoy it all and have some idea of what was going to happen next throughout. He was okay about the decorations going away, but sad the Christmas Lego display came down off the cupboard.
"Please don't put it away, I love it. I want to play with it some more".
"It's bad luck to leave it out. We need to put it away so that it is nice for next Christmas".
"There's going to be another Christmas?".
"Yes, next year".
"Wicked".
Just occasionally children really can be easily pleased....
Boy no.3 is 4 and this year was the first that we thought he understood all about Christmas and was able to enjoy it all and have some idea of what was going to happen next throughout. He was okay about the decorations going away, but sad the Christmas Lego display came down off the cupboard.
"Please don't put it away, I love it. I want to play with it some more".
"It's bad luck to leave it out. We need to put it away so that it is nice for next Christmas".
"There's going to be another Christmas?".
"Yes, next year".
"Wicked".
Just occasionally children really can be easily pleased....
Wednesday, 2 January 2013
New Years Resolutions
1. Put on weight
2. Exercise less
3. Spend more time on the computer by myself
4. Spend less time playing on the PS3 with my partner and kids
5. Spend hardly any time at all working on the veggie patch in the garden, and still expect results
Obviously these must have been last years resolutions, because I seem to have kept them all.....
2013 - Must try harder... ;)
2. Exercise less
3. Spend more time on the computer by myself
4. Spend less time playing on the PS3 with my partner and kids
5. Spend hardly any time at all working on the veggie patch in the garden, and still expect results
Obviously these must have been last years resolutions, because I seem to have kept them all.....
2013 - Must try harder... ;)
Tuesday, 1 January 2013
Hobbit Lego - The Goblin King Battle 79010
We were incredibly lucky just before Christmas to get the opportunity through Izziwizzi Kids to review the brand new Lego Hobbit set - The Goblin King Battle.
When you open the box the bricks are in 5 separate bags, with 3 instruction booklets and a sheet of stickers for special bricks. The instructions are clear, the stickers go on easily, and the bags are not split by type or size of brick, but by area of the build, so each bag builds one aspect. We really liked that, not least because it meant each of our teenagers could choose a part to build, get the correct bag and start.
The set has 7 minifigures - including Gandalf, dwarves, goblins and the fantastic goblin king himself. There are loads of loose items including a host of weapons, plus several moving parts with interesting functions. The build is very much a puzzle, and then what you have is a different toy more suited to the younger people within the age range for re-enactment and make believe.
This is a HUGE Lego set and all of the children (and adults) were delighted to get a chance to play with it. The suggested age range for this set is 9-14years, and with a build time of several hours and 841 pieces, many of which are non-standard, you can see why. The design is fascinating and really intricate, there is barely a straight line in the entire build. It has so much more going on than we had expected, went together and stayed together well. There are also lots of intricate moving parts and functions including a bucket crane which turns and lifts/lowers, a rope bridge which collapses and a firing catapult.
This set has an RRP of £79.99, which we feel is a fair and standard price for a set of this size. I actually think that compared to most very large themed Lego sets, this set is more in line with some of the more modern sets like the Monster Hunters and Ninjago, and is better value, as it provides a huge amount of play opportunities rather than being more of a static model once completed.
We were very impressed with the Lego The Goblin King Battle. A side effect we hadn't forseen was that after spending half the afternoon building together, our 3 teenagers actually chose to all watch a movie together and didn't stop talking for the rest of the day - it was a real team-building exercise! A definite thumbs up!
We were lucky enough to be sent this set to review, but the opinions and reviews are our own genuine thoughts.
When you open the box the bricks are in 5 separate bags, with 3 instruction booklets and a sheet of stickers for special bricks. The instructions are clear, the stickers go on easily, and the bags are not split by type or size of brick, but by area of the build, so each bag builds one aspect. We really liked that, not least because it meant each of our teenagers could choose a part to build, get the correct bag and start.
The set has 7 minifigures - including Gandalf, dwarves, goblins and the fantastic goblin king himself. There are loads of loose items including a host of weapons, plus several moving parts with interesting functions. The build is very much a puzzle, and then what you have is a different toy more suited to the younger people within the age range for re-enactment and make believe.
This is a HUGE Lego set and all of the children (and adults) were delighted to get a chance to play with it. The suggested age range for this set is 9-14years, and with a build time of several hours and 841 pieces, many of which are non-standard, you can see why. The design is fascinating and really intricate, there is barely a straight line in the entire build. It has so much more going on than we had expected, went together and stayed together well. There are also lots of intricate moving parts and functions including a bucket crane which turns and lifts/lowers, a rope bridge which collapses and a firing catapult.
This set has an RRP of £79.99, which we feel is a fair and standard price for a set of this size. I actually think that compared to most very large themed Lego sets, this set is more in line with some of the more modern sets like the Monster Hunters and Ninjago, and is better value, as it provides a huge amount of play opportunities rather than being more of a static model once completed.
We were very impressed with the Lego The Goblin King Battle. A side effect we hadn't forseen was that after spending half the afternoon building together, our 3 teenagers actually chose to all watch a movie together and didn't stop talking for the rest of the day - it was a real team-building exercise! A definite thumbs up!
We were lucky enough to be sent this set to review, but the opinions and reviews are our own genuine thoughts.
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