Money makes the world go round

It feels a little like the world has stopped going round at the moment.

We are all still at home only going out for exercise, to shop for necessities or for medical emergencies, or to work if we can't stay at home. All non essential shops and public spaces, libraries, indoor and outdoor leisure facilities, hotels, hostels, campsites etc etc are still closed.

There is, however, one shop that has opened its doors during the pandemic: Ferdy and Gil's Food Shop.

Gil's favourite books at the moment are the Alfie and Annie Rose books, hence this new enterprise was inspired by Alfie's garden grocery store.

The Chief Shopkeeper (Ferdy) was sent on a few training courses to learn about money before the shop could open: he had to learn what each coin and note were, plus how to add them together and how to give change.

tl-bl clockwise: Alfie and Annie Rose's shop; writing prices using coins;
writing down and adding up what Mum has ordered; learning about money and prices.

After he had gained his certificate in shopkeeping, the shop opened.

I have visited the shop myself a few times and have been impressed by the amount of food in stock, not to mention the very reasonable prices; sometimes I even left the shop with more money than I'd had when I went in!

The Assistant Shopkeeper also found a singular way to maintain social distancing.

Later that week, when counting up his profits, the Chief Shopkeeper worked out that he could afford: a trip to the Asterix theme park (£37.50); a toy green lantern (£7.35); a toy skunk (£7.50); a Magnum ice cream (£2), a toy frog (£3.39) and a trip to the cinema to see Trolls (£15.99).

Both shopkeepers have confessed that they are pretty happy with the lockdown measures as it means that they get to play lots of lego and go to bed late, but they would welcome an easing of restrictions on public gatherings, and to travel abroad so that they could visit the cinema, and take a trip to France to meet Asterix.

Two Plus Two Is Five

We have been feeling sad this week. Sad about many things, like about our friends who are in flats and can't go out, and our relatives who are all alone, like about the poor elephants in Thailand who are reliant on tourism for their food and are being neglected in camps devoid of visitors, and about the lonely pygmy goats in London Zoo who have been waiting at the gates for the public to appear and scratch and stroke them.

We are also feeling sad about Michael Rosen, whom we love and who is currently in hospital with suspected coronavirus, but we haven't heard anything for a few days so we don't know how he is.

We saw Michael Rosen in London at Christmas, doing his Christmas storytelling.

©The Old Vic, London

And we also saw him in Hay on Wye in 2018 where Ferdy actually fell off his chair he was laughing so much. We have been reading lots of his poems and watching lots of his poetry and story videos this week.

So as a tribute to our all time favourite author, and in true Michael Rosen style, here is a list of the Things That Michael Rosen Has Taught Us (This Week)

1. That parents and teachers are not always the best teachers.

Teaching Gil to write 'Little Red Riding Hood'

2. That the best activities are often motivated by the desire to do them.

Ferdy researching and writing about sea creatures

3. That it is more fun to learn if you learn alongside someone who doesn't know it either and to share the excitement of discovery.

Ferdy setting me my 15x tables lessons

4. That reading The Beano is as important as reading as chapter books (a note to Mum).

5. That playing and playing and playing is great.

It seems to me that Michael Rosen has helped to give Ferdy the freedom to be irreverent and curious, to not always accept that the way things are already done, is the best way to do things; that two and two is five if you use your imagination. And my discovery of Michael Rosen has enabled me to accept how Ferdy is and isn't, to be in awe and impressed by him, rather than try too hard to mould him into being anything other than Ferdy.

So, Michael Rosen, please get well soon!!!!