Arnold's Balloon Trip

High above the clouds, not far from where you or I live, there is a magnificent pink and white mountain made of candy. The rocky parts of the mountain are made out of ice cream, and the snow is made out of ultra delicious icing. The path is actually a slide which you use to go all the way down into a hole which leads you to the best place in all the world…

…a whole haven made out of pink and white candy! And here are me and my friends, playing and sharing together inside this beautiful mountain. Snarf, Rex, Bad Bob, Wendy, Vince, Pinkie Pie, Twilight Sparkle, Rainbow Dash, Luke, Resus, Cleo, and of course me.

Snarf over here is climbing up the bubble gum volcano. The top is all sticky from various gentle eruptions of the good stuff. Snarf looks inside, and sees a large bubble gum bubble floating out. He reaches out to touch it, but then gets trapped inside it. He feels quite calm and serene trapped inside the bubble, and quite happy. Suddenly, he notices he is heading towards a candy cane spike! He tries to run but can’t, he’s trapped inside the bubble, then…POP! The bubble bursts, and Snarf hangs onto the sticky bit for dear life, until he falls! POOSH! Snarf has landed on the giant marshmallows that floor the mountain.

In that part of the mountain, Vince and his friends Rex The Runt, Wendy and Bad Bob are all bouncing on marshmallows, having a bit of a laugh. Vince is bouncing off the walls like someone who has eaten too much sugary stuff, and once he calms down, he tastes a bit of one enormous pink marshmallow - OH! MMMMM! GOOD LORD! These marshmallows taste like angels inside his mouth! Rex, Wendy and Bad Bob share some of the stuff too, and soon they are feeling Heaven in their mouths. In fact, rarely have they had any sweet treats during their show - all they had was meat and vegetables and dog food. Gross!

As for the ponies, they’re over there by the candy cane-shaped ice cream geyser. Twilight, Pinkie and Rainbow are gathered around the geyser with eyes as big as saucers, waiting for the ice cream to come sploodging out of the geyser. Suddenly, SKMOOSH! Out comes the ice cream, and it lands on the floor beside Twilight and her two friends. “Everyone get out a cone!” cries Pinkie, and everyone breaks off a piece of candy cane spike to use as a cone for their ice cream. Once they taste - ooooh, what heavenly vanilla flavour! It’s as if the vanilla flavour was developed from Heaven or something. And you know what? It tastes even better with a Flake. Pinkie keeps some of these in her bum bag pocket just so the ponies should use it in case of an emergency ice cream rainfall.

And far off is a lake and a waterfall, which is made out of lucious hot cocoa! Luke, Resus, Cleo and I have taken off our shoes and socks and are having a fun time splashing and drinking from the most beautiful brown lake in the history of candy wonderlands. It tastes just like the hot chocolate we drink in Winter at home - only, it’s just as warm and is about the size of a hot tub! This is the best we’ve experienced all day ever since we came to this island. Tell that to Arnold, he’s been there and he has a lot of stories to tell should he get older.

But in the middle of the mountain is a tree which grows lots of candy by the light of the moon. Every full moon the magical moonbeams shine onto the trees to make candy magically appear, and that’s exactly where my friends and I are at now - waiting for candy to grow on the tree at midnight. “Is it midnight yet?” Pinkie keeps asking. “In one more second,” says Rex. Suddenly, a funny noise sounds. “Look!” I cry as lots of little sweet treats and chocolates begin growing on the branches, “Sweets!” “How beautiful,” sighs Twilight. “Yay! A full feast!” my siblings and I squeal. “Just wait and see,” says Bad Bob. “It IS a magic candy tree,” says Rainbow Dash. “Brace yourselves, guys,” I say, “Let’s pick those candies!” And here we go, picking the candies and eating them. Which reminds me of a scene in Noddy’s life during Midsummer Day…

“Is it midnight yet?” asks Sly as he, Noddy, Tessie Bear, Gobbo and Big Ears stand in the darkness of the forest, waiting for something to happen. “In one more second,” warns Big Ears. Suddenly, a magical noise signals the arrival of the golden leaves on the tree they are standing in front of. “Look!” cries Noddy, “Golden leaves!” “How beautiful,” swoons Tessie. The goblins get very excited over this. “RICH! WE’RE GOING TO BE RICH!” they shout in evil glee. “Just you wait and see,” chuckles Big Ears with an evil look on his face. “It IS a magic Midsummer tree,” gasps Noddy. Sly and Gobbo grab some sacks and run to the tree. “Let’s pick those leaves!” shouts Gobbo, and they did.

Well, you can tell how those two scenes are exactly alike. And wait a minute, have you got Kipper: Christmas Eve and Noddy The Champion on video? If you do, I suggest you watch them right away. You’ll thank me later.

THE END.

10 Things I'll Talk About During My (Hopefully) Visit To Milk & Honey

10.Bath & Bed

This is a story I did today that premiered on my blog first, then on GDocs. This sweet, gentle story sees Orko help his family prepare his baby sister Furaha for bed, with a delicate bubble bath, followed by a story and then bed. This is a beautiful way to spend bedtime, and I hope this routine gets passed down to mothers and babies alike.

9.Arnold's Balloon Trip

Inspired by the Kipper episode of the same name, this is a series of scenes set at a Candy Mountain just like the one in the episode, with me and each of my friends enjoying a section of the mountain, including characters from 2011 Thundercats, Rex The Runt, My Little Pony: Friendship Is Magic and of course, me, Luke, Resus and Cleo. Since I got overwhelmed by seasons 2-9 of Friendship Is Magic, for autistic fans I advise you only watch season 1, like you watch season 1 of Bluey and Scream Street when you get agitated by their later seasons too.

8.President Scooby's Movies For The People

In 2000, we couldn't forget the USA elections. To tie in with that, Cartoon Network hosted an election of their own at the time, which includes Brak as a candidate. Thousands of fans voted, and the results were in - Scooby Doo was made new president of the network. He brought in big feasts for every day, cared for others and needed extra special care by his peers, including Shaggy, for when he got frightened. This resulted in a marathon of classic Scooby movies not just for the people of America, but for the people of the world. Hail President Scooby! Hail! Hail!

7.Scooby Doo, Where Have You Been? Marathon

When Scooby Doo returned to Cartoon Network one time - the original series - fans were delighted to see where it all began for the petrified pooch and his gang of human friends. Fans young and old indulged in classic Scooby adventures which had them grabbing popcorn, Coke and Scooby Snacks and cheering on Scooby and his friends as they took down the monsters that terrorised the people of their hometown. Scooby-Dooby-DOOOOOOOOOOOO!!

6.Total Drama Action Big Money Giveaway

Oh god. It's not everyday that Cartoon Network gives you a cash grab, but with Total Drama Action, that was an entirely different story. While viewers watched four episodes of Total Drama Action, Cartoon Network offered a big cash prize to anyone who phoned in. It's not fake, Cartoon Network did this for the sake of any Total Drama fans watching. Chris McClain will be proud.

5.Hamtaro Mini Marathon

Gobbling mouthfuls and saying "Ham! Ham!" - that's one thing kids of the era I was born in used to say when Hamtaro came onto Cartoon Network. The marathon saw Hamtaro and his friends overcoming new obstacles and friends, such as a talent contest, a treasure hunt and a spooky going on. If I were watching it, I'd be eating turkey dinosaurs and going "Ham Ham!" along with the viewers watching. Hamtaro encourages you to talk with your mouth full. Seriously.

4.March Movie Madness

A combination of every single cartoon or slapstick family film just in time for March 2007, such as Cartoon Network TV films, Scooby Doo films, Tom & Jerry films and standalone family films had American kids pushing cinema visits aside and grabbing popcorn and cake just in time to witness all these raggedy adventures on their telly box.

3.Orko's Porridge Song

As I've mentioned in my stories 'Does Baby Have A Cold?' and 'Cuddles & Caring', which I'll mention in a minute, Orko likes to sing the nursery rhyme 'Pease Porridge Hot' to baby Furaha as he feeds her porridge. The story describes a morning in the life of baby Furaha and Orko as they go downstairs for breakfast as Angel, the resident cook, serves nice, warm porridge to everyone. Orko helps feed Furaha, singing 'Pease Porridge Hot' to her. Aaaawwww....sweet.

2.Blossom

Imagine waking up one blossomy Spring morning to find a whole tree of Sakura blossoms outside your window. With a tree outside Furaha and Orko's bedroom window, there's no imagining what you can do with a story themed around it. With me, I like to imagine that as Furaha and Orko sleep one lazy Spring morning, Furaha watches the blossoms on the blossom tree outside blow their petals in through the open window. Furaha sleepily tries to catch them. What a cuddly Spring story.

1.Cuddles & Caring

I told you this story would be important. I did this yesterday when I put my mind to it - and be truthful, you can do literally ANYTHING when you put your mind to it. This caring story is about Orko taking care of his baby sister Furaha during times when she needs her most, like when she was down with a Cub Cold, or when she bumped her toes on the leg of the table. Of course, helping Orko on his way are his nursemaids and his parents, who also support their little sister. Imagine you had a family as kind and as caring as Orko's. You'll thank me later.

For more information on Share Your Care Day and Giving Hearts Day, click on these two links below:

Giving Hearts Day

Share Your Care Day

When I'm Excited For The Milk & Honey Meet Up/Drop In...

Take it away, Mickey!

10 Things I'll Talk About If I Were To Attend The Coffee Club @ Eden Court

10.Cravendale 'Slurp' and 'Toe Tapping' adverts

Way better than any annoying ad I've seen, these adverts for Cravendale milk are from the creators of A Town Called Panic and see a pirate, cow and cyclist run a milk bar for animals and people who love Cravendale as much as they do. In one advert, a group of Irish people slurp out a tune to 'William Tell', and in the next ad, which is a sequel to 'Bad Bull', the now good bull orders some glasses of milk before the jukebox puts on a rocking tune which sends Pirate into a crazy frenzy and sets the entire milk bar on fire. Don't try this at home!

9.My Diary

The people at the local support hub have now gone woke and have suggested I keep a diary for any unfortunate events or appointments that may occur, like ones for the dentist or the doctor. I get it, days out aren't just about appointments, they're about walks and picnics and treats and shopping and hanging out with friends, but now I've brought an Eeyore diary to see me through. Thanks for noticing me...

8.My new diet

Mum said I must limit my food preferences, so that means my support workers are now giving me some sausage rolls, a piece of fruit, some Babybel and a small sweet treat. And that, my friends, includes Suckies and Bounce Bars. I wish they were more of a big deal that Logan Paul's PRIME drinks, these things are starting to get on my nerves. I'd drink Coke over these stupid drinks any day.

7.The Not So Little Princess: What's My Name?

In this grown up sequel to Tony Ross' spoilt good for nothing princess character who learns about the world and is actually Caillou in disguise, she's now grown up and everyone in the castle must call her by her real name now, because there are people out there who have grown out of her picture books and have found her TV series to be a bad example, because in this Milkshake show the Little Princess is always screaming and throwing tantrums so she can get her way. Can't Milkshake air Caillou instead?!

6.Furaha's Bad Dream

In this story, which is way better than that bratty Little Princess character, Furaha has a bad dream where she is chased by an ugly lion/warthog hybrid and eaten alive, but she wakes up screaming. As Orko comforts her, her entire family rushes in to see what the matter is, and decide to take her downstairs into the living room to calm her down and have a bit of family time. This story is a good example of what to do if you have a bad dream - instead of getting into bed and hassling your parents, spending time with them is a soothing way to get back to sleep.

5.A Perfect Day To Relax

You've probably seen the 2003 Nivea advert which saw the comeback of the Nivea ball. Instead of a Nivea ball in this one, there's pure relaxation. Orko stays on the sidelines of the beach, in a quiet place where he can bond with his baby sister Furaha while his friends, soon to be Furaha's friends, play a game of blind tag far off on the other side of the beach. Orko just prefers to relax with his soft, cuddly, gentle baby sister and comfort her instead of join his friends' noisy games. Baby sisters are more important than friends, anyway.

4.The Easter Monkey In Winter

Furaha, Orko and Baby Marvin The Martian live comfortably in a log cabin in the middle of a Wintery wonderland. Every day, they go outside and play in the snow, and even have enough food to go around. One day, they run out of food and embark on an Alice In Wonderland inspired adventure across the tundra to find the legendary Appetite Cave, which houses as much food as they need to see them through. They meet characters from Baby Looney Tunes' Eggs-Traordinary Adventure, Here Comes Peter Cottontail and Joseph: King Of Dreams, who all show them the way to the cave.

3.Baby Marvin Goes Swimming

Let's just say Baby Marvin is like the Arnold of the Me, You, And...universe. He doesn't talk, rarely speaks and lives with his puppy K9 and his mother, who is a martian like him. In this vignette, he goes swimming with Furaha, Orko, K9 and his mother. The pool in this one is also dog friendly, so K9 would have a great time playing there. Since Marvin is only a baby martian, his mother has to swim with him at all times. Furaha and Orko indulge in their own ways of playing however, splashing each other, relaxing in the water and playing on floaties. Now the Baby Looney Tunes have been swimming in the pool in Granny's nursery before, and Daffy had to overcome his fear of water to join them - feel nostalgic? I do!

2.Safari Plains

In this soothing story set on the plains of Africa, Furaha and Orko wander across the grasslands while their family - including that mischievous mutt rascal Rocky - are fast asleep under a baobab tree. Wandering around the plain and encountering many animals along the way such as giraffes, elephants, hippos and monkeys, the two friends talk about why friendship makes them a family, and what makes the animals in Africa a family too, in a soft and gentle conversation about friendship and loyalty.

1.By The Fireplace

In this cosy story set during Winter, in the palace living room Furaha and Orko settle by the fireplace with their family, and Furaha and Orko tell each other about how wonderful it is to sit by the fire and snuggle together to share in good times. They reminisce about three moments in Furaha's life which they won't forget, such as a trip to the fair, making sandcastles and drawing in the sand on the beach and playing hide and seek in the throne room. All the simple pleasures of life with your family are right here, in the heart of a lioness. And if you're going to retrieve it, DON'T RIP AN ACTUAL ONE OUT! All it takes is courage and love.

10 Ideas To Celebrate National Opera Day

10.Research the history of opera, both for entertainment purposes and art purposes.

9.There's a lot of opera specials for kids on TV, such as Horrible Histories' live special 'Orrible Opera and the Sky Kids special Abracadopera.

8.Dress up like an opera character for the day.

7.Sing out your every word as you pass strangers in the street.

6.Search up famous modern opera singers who have made it in showbiz, such as Pavarotti.

5.Listen to opera music when you feel stressed and want to grind your teeth.

4.Look at the Pixie & Brutus comic 'Moon' with 'Song To The Moon' playing in the background.

3.Put on your own backyard opera with your family.

2.Watch an opera performance on Youtube.

1.Or...go and see a real opera for some chill out time!

10 Things I'll Talk About Should I Attend The Lunch Club At The Auctioneer's

10.Caring & Cuddles

When I thought up this story, I was thinking of Care Bears Share Your Care Day, but it isn't until September, so this story is about Orko caring for baby Furaha whatever the situation, and two situations are the main focus of the story: the time when Furaha fell ill, and the time when Furaha bumped her toes on the table when playing near it. Orko is always there for Furaha whether she is ill, injured or upset.

9.Postman Pat & The Postal Strikes

In keeping with the times we're in, the postal strikes have affected postal workers across the UK, but Postman Pat and I address the situation in a way kids can understand. When I send a letter to Factory Create, it doesn't come no matter how many days pass. Even Aunt F's postal tracker watch doesn't help, but Postman Pat has the answer: the postal strikes have caused all this. Gathering up him, Jess, Julian and Meera, I head out on a quest to find out who really caused the postal strikes.

8.No Teeth Grinding

This will be a big milestone for me, because should I do the teeth grinding thing again, I might have to go to hospital to get more fillings in, and we can't have that now, can we? Well, I'm coping with it the only way I know how - by doing deep breathing, listening to music and going out and doing some exercise, which is what I'm going to do today should it not be too cold or rainy.

7.Suckies and Bounce Bars

Yesterday, I tried some new healthy snacks as part of my diet, although my tummy was churning and my head was aching from a bad night because of the mean old hag that keeps yelling to have her bum wiped. First of all, there's the Collective Dairy's 'Suckies'. Suckies are awesome not because of the taste, but because of the little Kipper-like mascot on the packaging who encourages buyers to send his tongue twisters online and spends his time surfing, bicycling and rollerskating on the packs. As for Bounce, it's a healthy chocolate bar shaped like a round compass or stopwatch, and I'm already starting to like the Millionaire ones - they're my absolute favourite!

6.Introducing my support worker to Earth Moods

About last week I went round to my support worker's house - although she was a bit strict, it was nice being around her dog Jake and sitting in front of a warm fire watching Earth Moods on Disney+ on her TV. It was there that a historic moment happened to my support worker - she was introduced to the beauty and wonder of Nat Geo's mindfulness series for the very first time! Nothing's better than watching a curly furred dog with bad stomach problems watching a crackling fire and listening to the sweeping music of Earth Moods.

5.My friend's Winnie The Pooh jumper

While I was at the local neighbourhood with my support worker, who was getting some money for petrol, I saw one of my friends through the door window. She is getting more awesome every month - last time I saw her, she was wearing a jumper with Mickey, Donald, Pluto and their girlfriends on it. And at the Christmas Lunch, I saw her with a Care Bear. At that moment, I saw her wearing a Winnie The Pooh jumper. The bear of very little brain is beloved by everyone, because Disney appeals to those with disabilities too.

4.Ice cream!

I wonder if The Auctioneer's sells ice cream! Well my support worker gave me a treat I won't forget when she took me to get ice cream. The ice cream I ordered was my favourite - vanilla with chocolate icing and a Flake in a tub. It was extra sticky and soft, meaning I downed it all before we even went home. Who else burped when trying that ice cream? Mmmmmmmaybe I did.

3.Bath & Bed

There's a bit in an Air Wick advert from Korea where inside the Air Wick thingy, a giraffe and a bear bathe their ostrich daughter, who was just a baby according to their memories, in a warm bubble bath. This is followed by a tickly moment with a towel and a warm, cosy moment with the baby ostrich tucked up in her bed. I want this moment to happen to all mothers and babies, especially to Orko, Furaha and their parents in 'Bath & Bed'. Orko helps his parents bathe their little princess amongst the frothy bubbles of a warm bath, then Orko plays a tickly game of peekaboo with Furaha under a fluffy green towel. It is followed by a nice, gentle story with Furaha's favourite board book, and then both Orko and Furaha are finally tucked up in bed, and being a baby at the time, Furaha, as I'm going to mention in the story, is going to suck her thumb while she sleeps. Okay, so...IGNORE MUFFIN CONE, LOOK AT KIPPER'S LITTLE FRIEND ARNOLD INSTEAD!

2.Look What We've Found!

Back in the '90s, Cartoon Network aired a block which included rarely seen cartoons such as Pac Man, The Roman Holidays and Wildfire. This is the only place where you're to see a pill munching, wise-cracking yellow man, a hungry lion living in the Roman times (A LION!!!) and a majestic purple horse fighting the forces of evil, but if you're a kid in the '90s and your parents watched the show, you'll have me to thank for finding that goofy lion and that majestic hero horse.

1.Space Ghost Coast To Coast Marathon

Urgh. Adult Swim...the hellhole for adult animation in America, where soothing bumps collide with disgusting yet surreal images that creeped kids out to this day. However, before all the madness, Space Ghost Coast To Coast reigned supreme on Cartoon Network and Cartoon Network alone, and this gave him and his lackeys Moltar and Zorak the marathon they deserved, not from Mike Lazzo, but from all their toon friends, for being the best cartoon talk show hosts ever to talk with real celebrities on a model set...yes, I'm talking to you When The Wind Blows. When you want to watch a real Raymond Briggs film, watch classics like The Snowman and Father Christmas.

And now, for your amusement, a full collection of Adult Swim bumps. Take it away!

10 Ideas To Celebrate Send A Card To A Friend Day

10.Plan a surprise party for someone you know who deserves lots of care and attention.

9.Watch My Little Pony: A New Generation, where Sunny sends a letter to the unicorns and pegasi outside Maretime Bay and years later, a unicorn called Izzy appears.

8.Design your dream envelopes.

7.Write a letter in the voice of Furaha to Orko.

6.Write to your favourite cartoon character.

5.Watch 'Letters From Felix', a cartoon where a yellow rabbit travels the world and writes back to the little girl who owned him.

4.Write a letter to someone you know from work or school thanking him or her for the friendly advice and jokes he or she passed down to you.

3.Write a letter to a member of your family you know so well, thanking him or her for advice he or she gave you.

2.If you've run out of envelopes, send a friend some chocolates and flowers instead.

1.Make a care package for a person you love.

10 Things I'll Talk About With My Friends If I Were To Attend Today's Drop Off

10.Scooby Goes Hollywood.

With the release of the live action Scooby Doo movie in 2002, Cartoon Network needed to promote it in the most glamorous way possible, so they put a few Scooby Snacks here and a few Scooby Snacks there, and VIOLA! A Scooby Doo movie marathon to promote the film. It featured all the awesome Hannah Barbera Superstars 10 films, plus some classics from the era Scooby Doo returned to screen.

9.CN Dog Bowl

Cartoon Network has been hosting Super Bowl events over in America back in the '90s, from marathons of classic Superman cartoons to the infamous Chowder Bowl. This one is a real dog's dish, and features cartoon dogs competing for the title of Dog Bowl Champion, especially Scooby Doo. Not so precious now, are you Pupp? 

8.Shocktober

No, not the CBBC event that introduced Scream Street to the world, I meant the Cartoon Network event from way back in 2003, featuring Halloween related episodes of Scooby Doo, Hamtaro and lots of Cartoon Cartoons. Even when He Man and our fave Orko were around, Cartoon Network was awesome, even in 2003 - the best year to be watching, by the way.

7.NBA All Star Slam

Imagine that - basketball stars introducing favourite cartoons. Back in February 2003, Cartoon Network collaborated with the NBA to create an event that includes He Man in it and still is the best way to get fans of Orko and Snarf up and active. Well, He Man and the classic Thundercats series are in the marathon, but other toon stars like Bugs Bunny, Huck Hound, Scooby Doo and Godzilla appear as well. Go team!

6.The Easter Monkey

Before the days of PETA telling us chimps on TV and in greeting cards were unnecessary, Cartoon Network promptly allowed a real chimp to replace the Easter Bunny just for one year and show us his favourite movies, including Baby Looney Tunes, Here Comes Peter Cottontail and Joseph: King Of Dreams. The most colourful Easter lineup ever!

5.Scooby Doo: The Mystery Begins Premiere Marathon

This is the marathon that introduced the second live action incarnation of Scooby Doo to the world through a marathon of live action films and CGI ones too. Films include Garfield Gets Real, Cats & Dogs and Home Alone 3. This all lead up to a movie about how the Mystery Inc gang came together, and resulted in the biggest montage of Shaggy and Scooby spending time together in the history of mankind!

4.Sneak Peek Week

My absolute favourite, Robotboy. Sometimes I wished I could visit I Want That Toy, or have a treehouse just like the one Lola's dad built. It was introduced as part of a week of sneak peeks during the 2004 New Year on Cartoon Network, alongside Ben 10, My Gym Partner's A Monkey and Zixx, which I also used to watch when I was younger. Anyone fancy a slice of pizza from Cheezy Fun For Everyone?

3.Me, You, And...'s New Setting In Kujali

Kujali is a kingdom somewhere near here, but untouched by man - where everyone lives in peace and harmony and no evil ever appears. In this kingdom, located by the sea and not entirely like your village or mine, Furaha and Orko live with their parents Kiburi and Ua in a beautiful yellow, pink and orange palace just by the seaside. This peaceful new setting is inspired by the 2011 Thundercats series, which is of course similar to He Man - except instead of a little wizard you get a cheeky squeaky little creature called Snarf. And in this place you get no danger or evil whatsoever. Just peace and happiness.

2.The Cheese House

Wow, I haven't watched Coraline in ages, because the world Coraline goes to is just too exciting even for a creepy film - the food! The plants and animals! The circus! The theatre! Wow, and all that just for a tempting trap set up by the Beldam. Well in this story, Furaha and Orko return to the palace from shopping to discover Ua has packed a mysterious piece of cheese into her shopping bag. That night, the two friends eat it, and they are transported into a world where a Swiss cheese house awaits - they are given delicious food, they explore a beautiful garden and they explore a room full of colour.

1.Zombie Day

Braaaaaiiinnsss...wait, am I missing the point? Yes. Imagine a school where zombies act like real teens and teachers are zombies too. This is the exact school I would send my old friends from school to - so they can HAVE BRAINS FOR DINNER! MWAHAHAHAHAHA!!! Anyway, this marathon includes zombie-themed episodes of shows in time for Halloween, including Frankenthumb, Scooby Doo On Zombie Island and 6Teen: Dude Of The Living Dead. No brains for me, thank you very much, I'm not a zombie!

10 Ideas To Celebrate Frozen Yogurt Day

10.If you have a dentist's appointment coming up like I have, don't eat frozen yogurt until after it.

9.Make a frozen yogurt hairdo!

8.Enjoy frozen yogurt with sprinkles and strawberries.

7.Find out the history of frozen yogurt.

6.Kids, who in your class likes frozen yogurt? Take a poll to see who likes it...if your boring teacher can allow it.

5.Freeze up some of your favourite yogurt to make it into an ice lolly.

4.Mix up frozen yogurt with ice cream to see if they compare.

3.Make up a slogan for frozen yogurt.

2.Find out about Disney ice cream and Cool Creations treats from Nestle.

1.Pack some frozen yogurt into your lunchbox for school!

10 Ideas To Celebrate Chocolate Fondue Day

10.Eat chocolate fondue like Winnie The Pooh eats hunny.

9.Find out how chocolate fondue is made.

8.Find companies that specialise in chocolate fountains near where you live.

7.Find things that go well with chocolate fondue, such as cheese and strawberries.

6.Dye chocolate fondue to make it into different colours.

5.Compare chocolate fondue with cheese fondue and see how they taste different.

4.Draw fanart of your favourite character trying chocolate fondue.

3.Melt chocolate in a glass bowl to make a delicious melty chocolate dessert for after lunch.

2.Make chocolate cake batter - then eat it!

1.Buy yourself a chocolate fountain from Amazon.

Orko's Bond

Orko lived by himself in a beautiful, peaceful tropical jungle. He knew he had pride in his heart to take care of all the animals in the jungle, and never hunt them. Instead, he ate fruit from the jungle trees. He enjoyed rolling about in the leaves, napping in the lush greenery, splashing in the lake and most importantly, climbing trees, mainly to his treetop nest. Although he can climb to his treetop nest, he can float as well, so he’s the only creature in the jungle who can float - as well as the fireflies, of course.

But there was one thing missing from his life - a friend. He had tried making friends with all the animals in the jungle, but since they viewed him as a hunter, they just turned away. He lay in his treetop nest all alone every night, praying that someone would come down from the heavens and answer his wishes of wanting a friend.

One day, however, that wish was about to come true.

On that day, Orko was out on the beach, looking farther out towards the sea, wondering what sort of things would be out there, like cars, buses, traffic, houses, lollipops. Just then, he heard someone crying from nearby. Orko was curious to know where the crying was coming from, so he followed his ears towards a little Moses basket hidden in the leaves. When he approached the basket, much to his surprise, he was shocked to see a line of pawprints covered in blood. “Who killed her parents?” asked Orko, for he knew what ‘Her’ was - a baby lioness cub, crying under a silk blanket. When she saw Orko, she looked up at him and smiled. Orko knew instantly that she would take to liking him, so he gently lifted her out of the basket and cuddled her. The baby began to laugh with Orko as he cooed, “Aaaawww, aren’t you a little goofy-woofus? I can’t just leave you here. You might die. I know! I think I’ll name you…Furaha. It’s jungle language for being the prettiest soul in the universe.”

The next morning, Furaha expected to wake up in her parent’s cabin where they took shelter for the night, but she remembered. She was in Orko’s treetop nest. For a baby this small, she had a lot of memory. Orko yawned and stretched and gave Furaha her first hug of the day. Then he placed Furaha into the leaves and rolled about, laughing joyfully. Furaha saw her big brother rolling and decided to do it too. She began rolling in the leaves as if she were a dirty, stinky street urchin playing in the mud. How our two friends laughed! When our two friends have fully woken up, Orko placed Furaha onto his back and floated across the jungle, as the baby lioness cub squealed in joy. Most babies might be afraid of heights, but for a baby this small, she wasn’t afraid at all.

“Hang on, you rhymed!”

Thank you, Orko. Now, Orko sat in a quiet place in the leaves by the waterfall and cuddle his baby sister for hours on end…

“It’s minutes, Mrs Narrator.”

Minutes? Oh, sorry Orko. Okay, so Orko cuddled his baby sister for minutes on end, and sometimes produced fresh milk from his sleeve and fed his baby sister well. When Orko went to the lake to catch fish, he fed Furaha well with them too, but Furaha at this age didn’t know how to catch fish because her paws were too small. So Orko had to hover over the water and dive in to catch the fish as they leapt out. With his velvety cloak all wet, Orko had finally caught a flappy fish, which he fed to Furaha. Fish were filled with proteins and carbohydrates that make a baby’s bones big and strong.

The leopard was the only animal Orko could trust in his jungle home, and he would come to visit his friend every day to show him his little sister. Since he had complete trust in his friend, the leopard dared not eat the young lion cub. Instead he sang him his ‘Song Of The Spots’ which he sang for his people every time he attended a family gathering or another family event. When he did, the leopards sang in complete harmony, as if they were a family…or even better, a pride.

When it rained, Orko and Furaha would sit in a clear spot and feel the rain land on their skin and fur, as if they were having an electric shower outdoors. Baby Furaha loved the feel of rain on her fur, and she shook herself so Orko was covered in it. How they laughed! When they were tired, they would take a nap in a safe, leafy spot where predators won’t get them. The leaves felt soft and downy, almost like complete luxury to them. In the background, they could hear water falling into the lake and tropical birds singing their song. It was so peaceful, at first they forgot they were in the jungle…until they played hide and seek when they woke up. Since baby Furaha didn’t understand the rules of the game yet, she would crawl around looking for Orko, who would often hide in the leaves or behind the trees. Then Orko would slowly peer out…and “BOO!” Orko would leap out and surprise the cute little cub, resulting in the little wizard sweeping Furaha up in his lanky arms and cuddling her. Orko helped Furaha over to the lake, where they went for a nice, refreshing swim. They splashed each other, and Furaha would flap her arms, splashing water everywhere. Often, Orko would do his favourite part of him swimming in the lake - letting Furaha lie on his chest as he floated on his back in the water, watching the world go by. It was so relaxing, and yet he was glad to share it with Furaha, who was just as relaxed as him.

Then at one point in the day, Orko sat on the banks of the lake and touched Furaha paw in hand. Their touches were so tender that Orko softly said, “I know we’re different, and we come from hunter territory, but outside, we’re not hunters. We’re people of innocence, and with me, I carry innocent magic.” And with that, he hugged Furaha to his chest, in tears over finding someone that stayed true to his loving heart.

When he got back to his tree, he got out a piece of sharp rock and carved a picture of baby Furaha into the tree, making her an official part of his ‘family’. Then he saw Furaha rubbing her eyes in a crude manner and yawning. He picked up Furaha and hugged her again. “I see you’re feeling very tired. Let’s get you to bed.” He floated all the way up to his treetop nest and settled in the leaves, cuddling Furaha gently. He then sang a lullaby in Brazilian, which goes a little something like this. It’s important to know that Orko spoke Brazilian because he learned from his leopard friend, who was once an entertainer for the king in his palace before he ran away to the jungle:

“Minha pequena Furaha, ela é minha família

Patinhas doces e um rosto rosado

Ela ainda não aprendeu sobre a vida na selva

Mas por enquanto, ela está segura em meu coração.”

With those words crooned out to the tired baby, little Furaha fell asleep in her brother’s arms, as he snuggled into the leaves and closed his eyes, dreaming about another day of fun in their lovely jungle home, for it is the bond between brother and sister that make jungles like theirs a nice place to thrive in.

THE END.

10 Ideas To Celebrate Sweater Day

10.Learn how to knit yourself a sweater.

9.Dress up your pet in a sweater.

8.Dig out your old sweater from when you were a baby or toddler - be it dinosaurs or unicorns, you can have a go at knitting it for your adult size too.

7.Design your ideal sweater.

6.Draw your favourite cartoon character wearing a sweater.

5.Compare sweaters with ugly Christmas jumpers.

4.Make up a catchphrase for your favourite sweater.

3.Dance about in your sweater - if you get too hot, just take it off!

2.Find out the history of the first sweater ever worn.

1.Ah, whatever, who cares if it's cold, just wear your sweater anyway.

The Nursery In Trolla

It was one of those nights where the full moon shone on the beach near where Furaha and Orko lived. In their cosy little house, the duo were sound asleep in their warm bed, with the full moon shining its light onto Furaha. And when the moon shone on Furaha, she begins to dream…

Furaha woke up in a colourful place, with upside down trees and strangely shaped buildings. Orko woke with her too, and he was very excited to see the place he ended up in. “Trolla!” he cried, “I’m home!” “That’s your home planet?” asked Furaha. “Of course,” said Orko, “And this is the nursery where I used to work before my cruel life in Eternia. Look!” Furaha looked at where Orko was pointing. There in front of her was a tall building shaped like a baby’s bonnet, labelled: “Trolla Nursery - Home Of The Cutest Lil’ Magicians”. Furaha at once squealed in joy. “I wonder if there are any babies for me to look after in here?” asked Orko. “Well, you’ll just have to find out!” laughed Furaha, and she lead Orko inside.

In the nursery, the two friends went into the Newborn Room, where all the weak little newborn Trollans were fed milk and cuddled by caretakers with shadowed faces. The babies also had shadowed faces, so their eyes looked adorable. “Aaaaawwww…are those the babies you used to care for?” asked Furaha, feeling adored. “Yes! Some babies have grown up, but these are new ones.” “Really?” “Yes, you can come and cuddle some if you like.”

So Furaha and Orko went over to the babies and cuddled two of them - one was named Trala, the other was named Joiji. Furaha was put in charge of holding Joiji, while Orko held Trala. Furaha and Orko tickled and nuzzled and hugged the babies, who reacted with sweet little coos and laughter. Furaha giggled. “The babies feel like velvet towards my fur, Orko.” she said softly as Joiji nuzzled into her fur. “The babies love it when you nuzzle and cuddle them.” explained Orko, “It was my job to cuddle and care for the newborns on some days. Looking after them is hard work, but it’s really rewarding.” One Trollan caretaker, Beema, came up to the two friends. “Joiji and Trala need a nap now.” Furaha was a little disappointed, but as she knew newborns aren’t old enough to play or crawl yet, she put Joiji back into the cot and kissed him ‘goodnight’. Orko did the same to Trala.

Orko lead Furaha into the Baby Room, where there were lots of Trollan babies playing and crawling and trying to use their baby magic. “More adorable!” squeed Furaha. “Can I play with them?” “The babies are fully developed in this room, but you can play with them if you want.” Furaha went up to the playpen where some of the babies were playing with toys and crawling around. Orko went over to see how to babies on the right hand side of the room, while Furaha played with the babies in the playpen. One of the baby Trollans, Caura, was already learning to crawl, and was delighted when he saw Furaha say, “Look! Toes.” Caura was fascinated and grabbed Furaha’s toes gently. Furaha giggled as more Trollan babies came to pet her. “Hey, they like me!” she cried. “That’s because they had never seen a strange creature like you before,” called Orko as he tended to one Trollan baby with glasses, called Zozo. “Yeah? Well, they love me as much as I love you!” Upon saying that, Furaha felt herself being tickled by the babies. She laughed and she laughed, but inside her head she wondered if there was something missing. That’s it! The answer was found when Orko and Zozo came and tickled her. Furaha was laughing and laughing and laughing.

When the dream ended, Furaha found herself laughing so much back in her own bed that Orko was tickling her to wake her up. Furaha looked out of the window behind her bed. It was morning time already. “Orko, I had the most amazing dream!” she said. “I had it too Furaha,” he explained. “Yeah, we were back in Trolla, in the nursery where you used to work…”

THE END.