Capable Child

My family had been looking forward to going to Bodega Cantina in Sutton Coldfield for a while so when the opportunity came up to review the refreshed menu, we jumped at the chance. I had heard good things about the eatery from a number of people and had been with some friends a while ago and enjoyed the food and atmosphere. As I was about to have a baby, I thought that it was either now or in several months and decided to head over one Saturday evening together with my husband and 6 year old daughter.  We got there slightly early and had a drink at the bar. There was an extensive menu of alcoholic and non-alcoholic cocktails and beers. As we waited for our table, the bar area was hotting up as people arrived before heading out for the evening into Sutton Coldfield. The atmosphere was relaxed and good natured and the décor mirrored the South American menu that was on offer. Out table was spacious and the feel of the room was uncluttered. As well as those wh...

If you enjoy contemporary dance with an ethnic twist, Same Same but Different is a great family show. It has been created with a number of primary schools in Birmingham and mixes colour, dance and story together.  The show began with the three performers inside large pieces of colourful material. Children watching had their imaginations captured as we watched the dancers move into different shapes and configurations. When the performers eventually popped out they were surprised to find the audience watching. They greeted us with waves and high fives which immediately drew the audience into the performance. Highlights of the performance were the acrobatic movements performed by the dancers Aakanksha, Laura and Mickael. As they tumbled and twisted to the music the audience was left to interpret what they were showing with these movements as they explored the times when we feel different and the times that we belong. The title of the show ‘Same Same but Different’ may b...

Photo Credit Bella Kotak Anticipation was building. We had enjoyed meeting one of the dancers and trying on ballet costumes in the Audience Open Day. Now, as we walked into the Hippodrome’s auditorium we could sense the buzz of excitement. Before taking our seats, we peeped over into the orchestra pit. Seeing the full orchestra tuning up and the range of instruments was very impressive - definitely be nosey! Most children will know the story of Beauty and the Beast really well. This was certainly the case with Little Lady and it helped her to enjoy and understand the ballet. We read the story in the programme as there are some slight variations and additional characters, such as  Cochon and the Wild Girl . There was also a prologue, which explained how the Prince had been turned into the Beast by the Woodsman. The core plot though remained the same and was easy for children and adults to follow. We meet Belle’s vain and selfish sisters in Act 1. Their interact...

I didn’t plan a six year age gap between my girls. Once Little Lady‘s first birthday had passed, it was time to try again for a second baby. I knew it was going to take a while because it had been a long road the first time. As I had packed away each set of baby clothes all clean and labelled with ages, I had prayed that I would be able to use them again. When I actually discovered that I was pregnant again for the second time, it was coming up to Little Lady’s sixth birthday. I was in a state of delighted shock and struggled to believe it could be true. I paid for a scan around seven weeks because I just needed to see that there was actually an embryo inside, growing and safely beating away. Thank goodness for my morning sickness confirming that it was all true! We had left the baby stage behind long ago. Now we were able to leave the house with just a set of keys in our pocket. We had envisaged having children close together, them playing with the same toys and being b...

Cooking with a class of children at school is HARD work. Even in smaller groups, children may get a couple of stirs of the mixture or the chance to throw some ingredients in the bowl. This is why cooking at primary school is rare and why cooking at home is so lovely for children. They get to be involved from start to finish. Here are my top 5 super-duper easy things to cook with kids. Something  very, very easy! My number one for being very, very easy is bread making - from a ready mix packet I should quickly add! Literally, all you need to do add is water. We made bread a lot when Little Lady was a toddler. Working the dough strengthens little fingers and builds muscles which are also needed for writing, drawing, cutting, painting etc. Working the dough into different shapes and printing into it with simple objects like forks is fun in itself. The best part though is getting to eat warm, buttery bread fresh from the oven. It never lasts very long in our house. T...

Pantomime is all about fun and laughter and this year’s Christmas panto at Lichfield Garrick did not disappoint! Dick Whittington had singing, dancing, jokes, 3D effects, indoor fireworks, a flying fairy, a giant octopus and a rocking stage (literally!).  From the very start the audience was drawn into the show. There was poor Gary on the front row who endured the flirtations of the pantomime Dame and requests for us all to think of a name for Dick’s ‘jazz-socked’ pussycat. Audience participation was a requirement. The actors on stage really did seem to be enjoying themselves. Their personalities shone through as they interacted with the audience to get us shouting out, singing, dancing and looking for a sneaky gorilla. From the endearing Fairy Bowbells who liked to be greeted with a cheer as she arrived in a puff of smoke, to the wicked Queen Rat bringing customary panto booing. The characters were fabulous!  My family all strongly agreed on our favourite cha...

It’s true – Rudolf does have a very shiny nose! Despite the fact that, in this case, it was a bicycle light, we were left in no doubt who this strange beast, who had literally fallen out of the sky, actually was. The performance at Midlands Arts Centre, situated within the boundary of Cannon Hill Park in Edgbaston, told the delightful tale of a rather under-utilised safari park which was, to much amusement, based in the locality of our very own Brummie City. Following a tremendous storm one winter’s night, the safari park is visited by a grey furred, antlered sort of antelope with a nose which makes the other residents of the enclosures think that she is from outer space. As this creature has also suffered a bout of amnesia due to her fall, she is unable to set them straight. The story unfolds with our cloven friend meeting the other animals in a bid to try and persuade them (and herself) that she is one of them. It takes a beautiful snowy owl to help her discover her t...