The Word Cloud

Shhh! Don't tell anyone I'm here. Just sneaking on to share something. But I'm not really here. Honest.

It's the penultimate afternoon of the summer term and that means DVD afternoon. This morning, my class were given a choice of films to vote for. All the usual suspects: Shrek, Toy Story, High School Musical...and one oldie, The Wizard of Oz. Well, to my surprise, it was a landslide victory for The Wizard of Oz and now my class of 28 6/7 year olds are laughing, gasping and singing along to a film that is older than most of their grannies and grandads.

To be exact (just googled it) the film is 72 years old this year - isn't it great that it still has such appeal for children?  And that regardless of what they are now exposed to in terms of technology and communication, they can still be entertained and entranced without the aid of computer generated animation? I don't think I've ever seen them this quiet! Love it!

*Sneaks back off the Cloud before anyone spots her*

The Poster

“Kids its time to go to school, come and get your lunches!” Miss Cotton called.

“But I don’t want to go to school, its BORING!” Harry replied.

“Yes it is boring, boring, boring!” chanted Lilly.

"I’m sorry but you have no choice! Now have a good day, I’ll see you later, oh Harry, look after your sister on the bus will you? You know what she’s like!”

“Fine, bye!”

This is a normal morning in the Cotton’s house but they are not normal people. Harry is a 10 year old boy who likes football and music. Lilly is a cute little 4 year old girl who will agree to anything and loves pink! But Miss Cotton has a very different personality! She loves fruit – especially bananas, is a very good climber – have you guessed yet? She’s a Gorilla! It’s very hard for her because she can’t go and get a job! I mean wouldn’t you be a little bit shocked if, when you went down to Waitrose to buy your dinner you went to pay and you were being served by a talking Gorilla! So when the kids got home from school with some great news she was delighted!

“Mum, Mum, you will never guess what the poster said out side the burger shop today!” said Harry.

“What? Tell me!”

“It says they are looking for a griller to help them out and that they would be paid and everything!”

“You’re having a laugh!”

“No, no it’s true! You have to go and see if they will give you the job, but you have to ring first at this number,”

As Harry was reading out the number from his hand all Miss Cotton could think about was what she was going to say! The only humans she had ever spoken to were Harry and Lilly.

“Come on ring!” insisted Harry.

“Ok, Ok, I’m doing it!”

As she pressed green and it started to ring she new it was a bad idea but she just thought about Harry and Lilly, they were tight on money so she waited and waited and waited and – “Hello, Mrs. Jones speaking, can I help you?”
“Umm….. yes….. well…. I saw the poster in your shop window and…..”
“Oh yes, we have been hoping some one would call! Where do you live?”

“Just next door to you actually!”

“Oh great well can you start now or do you have plans?”
“Well I don’t have plans exactly but I have to kids with me.”

“Oh don’t worry they might like to help make the burgers.”

“Yeah I’m sure they’d love that, thank you.”

“No problem can you come round now then, oh you will need to will out a couple of forms when you get here but that’s ok nothing to serious don’t worry.”

“Ok see you in a minute!”
Miss. Cotton put the phone down – “YAY I got the job!”

“Yay yay yay!” Repeated Lilly making everyone laugh!

“That’s great mum! When do you start?” Asked Harry

“Now, put on you shoes and jackets you too!” Answered Miss. Cotton.

“What you want us to come too?!” Questioned Harry.

“Well I can’t leave you to here on your own can I?!

So they walked next door to the burger shop but when the got there there were lots of screams! Miss. Cotton froze, to scared to speak.

“Why are you so shocked?” Asked Harry.

“Well in case you haven’t noticed a Gorilla just walked into my shop!” Yelled Mrs. Jones in fright.

“But you said you wanted a griller for your shop!”

“Yes a griller not a Gorilla a griller to grill the burgers!”

“But if you don’t want a Gorilla then the zoo will take our mum and we will have to leave her forever!” Said Harry Scared.

“Well that’s not my fault!” Said Mrs. Jones, angry now.

“Meanwhile, Miss. Cotton was going red in the face tears pouring from her eyes – scared herself. “What are we going to do?”

“I don’t know mum.”    

Hello!

I’m asking for help!

I’m launching my new collection of children’s clothes, at a trade fair, called Bubble, at the Business Design Centre, June 19/20 ith 2011.

I have a load of invites, and I would like to send them to shops and businesses who sell children’s clothes, but who want to sell something different, and who care about fair trade and organic fabrics. They don’t have to be dedicated shops, all sorts of people stock children’s clothes.

Do you know of anyone who would be interested in either coming along, or, if they can’t make it, would like a wholesale brochure?

At the heart of my collection, is the Kimonii – it’s a brand new garment which I have invented, and combines wrap around trousers and top, to form an all-in-one play suit, which is easy to wear and easy to put on. I have the patent on it, and I am working on adult versions as well!

You can see my website at www.kappuke-ki-kidswear.co.uk

If you’d like to order some things, my new collection will be on-line in July, and as a thank you, if you email me though my site, I will give you a massive 50% off anything in the new collection. It will have to be pre-ordered, but will be in stock by the end of the summer; but it won’t be in shops until 2012!

Thanks for reading,

Jo could not believe that she had forgotten the one thing she did every single day, the one thing that was incredibly important.  As she ran down the street her face burned bright red. She skidded to a sudden stop in front of the primary school gates.

“Oh Tommy... I am so sorry Tommy,” exclaimed a breathless Jo.

“Where were you!” demanded a very grumpy Tommy, “Everybody else has gone!”

“I am so sorry Tommy; I don’t know why I forgot today.  It won’t happen again I promise.”

“Cross your heart!” demanded Tommy.

“Ok I cross my heart it won’t happen again I swear. How about we stop off at the shop on the way home and I’ll treat you to a sweet.” Slowly Tommy’s frown turned in to a toothy cheeky smile.

Relieved at her little brother’s forgiveness Jo took a hold of his hand and walked him to the shop. As they were walking along Jo was feeling a small sense of joy for that short period of time, she had so much to worry about these days; school, Tommy, cooking, cleaning and mum.  She was not surprised she had forgotten Tommy.

As they walked home from the shop eating their sweets Jo was wondering how their mum was today and hoping they would not find her somewhere passed out when they got back. Reluctantly Jo put her key in the rickety front door and turned it slowly.

“Mum we’re back,” She shouted.

“Mummy mummy guess what I did today!” hollered Tommy.

Jo checked the downstairs but she couldn’t see her mum anywhere a panic started to slowly arise inside her. She raced up the stairs as brother slowly followed her up still calling out for their mum. Jo went to check Tommy’s room first. She slowly pushed the door open and peered inside. Inside there was evidence that there mum had been doing laundry. Jo hesitantly stepped in the room and toward the bed. She could just see her mums limp foot lying on the floor.

“Tommy! Tommy! Go in the fridge and get mums’ medicine and then phone the ambulance you know what to say. And hurry I don’t know how long she’s been here.” Jo put her mum in the recovery position as a frightened Tommy did as he was told he still couldn’t get used to seeing his mum like this.

He raced down the stairs and quickly found his mums medicine in the fridge. He ran back to his bedroom picking up the phone as he passed. He handed Jo the medicine and with trembling fingers dialled 999.

“Which emergency service do you require?”

“Ambulance please,” requested a frightened Tommy.

“Hello Plymouth ambulance service.”

“Hi its’ my mummy, she’s diabetic, she’s not awake.”

Whilst her brother was on the phone Jo gave her mum the medicine she desperately needed.  

Jo and Tommy sat beside their mum whilst they waited desperately for the ambulance to arrive. Jo could never show any worry about what happened to their mum as she was afraid she would frighten Tommy, he was already weeping silently snuggled up against her.

“Hello,” called a male voice.

“We’re up here!” Jo shouted down.

The next thing they saw was a friendly faced paramedic carrying a bag.

“Alright there love? Can you hear me? Can you tell me your name?”

“Her names Trudy, she’s diabetic, I gave her her glucose gel but I don’t know how long she has been here like this. I’m so stupid if I hadn’t forgotten Tommy we wouldn’t have had to go to the shop and we would have been here sooner and maybe she wouldn’t have been like this.” Jo blabbed out.

“It’s alright love, it’s not your fault your mum will be ok. We just need to get her up to the hospital do you two fancy a ride in an ambulance?”

“Ooo yes please!” squealed an excited Tommy, who was now unaware of how ill their mum was.

Their mum still hadn’t woken up during the ride to the hospital. When they had arrived at the hospital their mum had been whisked off out of sight as soon as the kind ambulance men had unloaded her from the ambulance. Jo and her brother had been told to sit in a corridor. The corridor was sparkling white and appeared to be endless. This is what Jo imagined heaven to look like, sparkling, shiny and seemingly perfect and serene. As Jo and Tommy sat in this serene corridor they were brought back to reality when a plump grumpy looking nurse came plodding over to them.

“Your mum has to stay in hospital, I’ve called your grandparents there coming to get you,” She stated without looking at the children. When Jo heard that dreadful word ‘grandparents’ her head shot up.

“But we can look after ourselves and mum won’t be in hospital long will she,” said an anxious Jo.

“Your only a child yourself we can’t expect you to be responsible for another child. Anyway your mums going to be in here longer than you expect she’s not very well, your grandparents will explain more to you when they get here. Now you need to wait here until your grandparents get here.” Then the grumpy looking nurse plodded away again. Jo did not know what she should do, their mum was too ill to go home and Jo and her brother were going to live with their ‘grandparents.’ Even the word sent a shiver down Jo’s spine.

“What’s wrong with mummy Jo?” asked Tommy.

“She’s alright Tommy, she just needs to stay here a couple of days,” Jo couldn’t tell Tommy that she had no idea what was going on, she had to look after him now especially now they had to live with their grandparents. She knew she wouldn’t find out what was wrong with their mum, she knew that her grandparents wouldn’t tell her and she knew in her heart that the only way she would find out was if she could talk to her mum herself.

As Jo was sat in the corridor thinking to herself a familiar voice came drifting down the corridor. “Tommy! Jo!” screeched a voice Jo wished she hadn’t heard.