Big week

Tomorrow is Toby's last day at nursery. Ever. I know I'm going to cry but I am comforted by the fact that Rosie will be going to the same nursery in about 18 months. The Blackheath Montessori Centre has been so wonderful and Toby's teacher, Ms Suki, is going to be a hard act to follow.

Toby is doing a whole day tomorrow - 9am - 4.30pm - so that they can have a party in the afternoon with all of the children. It's part Easter party and part Toby's leaving party. We've got two Power Rangers cakes to take in. The cake Toby wanted wasn't big enough for everyone so we just bought two of them! We've also got presents for his teachers and we've made some Easter eggs for his classmates. Mom bought us some of those little plastic Easter eggs a few years ago and we've filled them with chocolates and little fluffy chickens for the children. (Note to Mom: Gonna need more eggs.)

Tomorrow I'm also going to film my bit for the TV show! I'm feeling very nervous about it. I don't mind looking silly or goofy but I would hate to look stupid or ugly. Hmmm, I wonder what that says about my psyche... Anyway, I'm heading off bright and early to a studio in some God-foresaken part of London. Wish me luck.

Then we have a four day weekend. Woo hoo!! It's filling up fast though. On Friday we're planning to go to the little circus on the heath with Marija, Andy and James. On Saturday we're going up to Cambridge to see J's family and Jenny & Kieran. Sunday is Easter and I'm doing a traditional lunch then we're going over to Greenwich Park for an Easter egg hunt and other festivities. The Easter bunnny will have made a visit too, of course, and he's been very good this year and found a special allergy-safe chocolate egg for Rosie.

The traditional thing in England is to give these big hollow chocolate eggs. You do get bunnies too and sometimes ducks or lambs but the eggs are the thing. On Good Friday you should have fish which goes back to the time when meat was forbidden food on Fridays though I can't remember why. I'm planning to make a fish pie which should be nice. Hot cross buns are also traditional Easter food as is a cake called a Simnel cake which is decorated with marzipan balls to represent each of the disciples, so it's either 11 or 12 depending on whether or not you count Judas. Most people do not. Then it's roast lamb and all the trimmings on Easter Sunday to represent the Paschal lamb. We're not at all religious but I do like to follow tradition. I'm thinking next year we might celebrate Passover just to even things out.

It's funny but when I think of the "traditional" Easter food of my childhood I think of marshmallow chicks (what are they called??), those candy eggs that are bright colours on the outside and fluffy white sugar on the inside, hollow chocolate bunnies with blue sugar paste eyes and of course lots of boiled chicken eggs. We don't see many real boiled eggs here but we always dye a bunch ourselves using kits that Mom has bought us in the States. (Note to Mom II: Gonna need more egg dye.)

Then Monday is our day of rest. We're thinking Costa for breakfast, Cafe Rouge or Pizza Express for lunch and lots of just hanging around before and after.

Have a lovely Easter!