Saturday 7 June 2014

OK it's Saturday and I'm sure many of you are gearing up to hitting the town tonight in your best glad rags, planning to paint the town red and have a stonking good time.  Me, I'm planning a night in my PJs with some hot chocolate and several hours of Peppa Pig videos.  I know, I know it's not what most adults plan for a Saturday night but before you all run screaming for the hills because you think I have some sort of weird fetish can I just explain that tonight I will be babysitting my nearly three year old granddaughter.  When those big blue eyes look up at you with all the emotional appeal of a small puppy how can you resist the accompanying request - "Gwandma (she's not quite grasped the pronunciation of the letter R yet) can we have a Peppa Pig fest in bed please?  With snacks and hot chocolate as well pleeease?" oh yes the girl can work a room at less than 36 months old so heaven help us all when she gets older.

But we don't just sit and watch Peppa, we discuss each episode with the fervour of a scholar discussing Shakespeare.  We analyse Daddy Pig's non stereotypical inability to read a map or put together flat pack furniture, the fact that Miss Rabbit operates more local businesses than the Chicago Mafia, that Daddy Dog is irresponsible and just disappears off to sea because he can't stand being on land any longer (or perhaps with his family!), that Mummy Pig lets little toddler George wander round the house unattended whilst she works upstairs at her computer, the rather bizarre fact that Rebecca Rabbit goes red with embarrassment when anyone mentions a carrot, that George cries at the drop of a hat or that Peppa can be rude, naughty and insensitive and is often the reason why George cries at the drop of a hat.

We even speak Peppa Pig now incorporating character catch phrases such as 'I'm a bit of an expert' when we know how to do things.  Crying is referred to as 'doing a George', when something we do doesn't quite go right it is labelled as being done 'Daddy Pig style-ee', spiders are all Mr Skinnylegs, working on the computer is known as 'Blah, blah, blah - the end' in honour of Mummy Pig and we regularly launch into the Bing Bong Song when we are in the car.

So at 6pm tonight it's into my PJs, line up a stack of DVDs, some Haribo mix and some hot chocolate and settle down for an evening of intellectual analysis, social comment and in-depth questioning ('Gwandma why does Peppa Pig never change her dress?') with one of the world's leading authorities on Peppa Pig.

Have a good evening.

Monday 15 April 2013

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