Brilliant News!the newsletter for the Benny Bear Club

October 2012 bennysblog.co.uk

Whoosh, bang, whiz Benny Members and Friends,

Guess what I am thinking about? Yes, that’s right, Halloween and Bonfire Night. But before that, I have been busy with Wear Yellow and Shine events for Spina Bifida and Hydrocephalus Awareness Week, which started on 22nd October. Did you all see my new yellow hat on Bennysblog? A little too big I think, so I need to try making one a little smaller. Try making your own paper hats and send me your photos.

Benny is a bear with

hydrocephalus.Benny helps children to understand

what it is like to live with the

condition

Why do Nights get Darker in October?

In the United Kingdom we change our clocks and watches by one hour, twice a year, once in March and again on the last Sunday in October. This shows us that we are changing from summer time to winter time. We have been changing our clocks forwards and backwards since 1916 and it helps to save the hours of daylight we have, and it really helps the farmers. It’s all a bit complicated, but I know that I had an extra hour in bed on Sunday 28th October, when I woke up at 9.00am it should have been 8.00am, but that’s fine by me!

With the darker nights comes some fun too. Halloween and Bonfire Night. Mummy and I are busy making a Halloween Jack-o-Lantern, which we make out of a pumpkin from the local supermarket. Daddy helped me cut out two eyes, a nose and mouth on the pumpkin and he made a hole in the top where I could scoop out the orange flesh inside, using a spoon. When I finished that, Mummy put a lit tea light inside the pumpkin, replaced the top and put it outside the house. I like to watch the face glow in the dark. Try this at home, but make sure you have a grown up to help you with the cutting and lighting the candle. I like buying different sized pumpkins and putting them all outside the front door, I call them my Pumpkin Family – tee hee!!

No sooner is Halloween over and along comes Bonfire Night on November 5th. There is nothing I like more than wrapping up in my hat, scarf and gloves and going outside and watching the wonderful fireworks. Daddy sometimes lights a bonfire and ALWAYS lights the fireworks, which he keeps in a tin, with a lid. My favourite is the SPARKLER, which Daddy lights and I hold at arms length and wave around, spelling my name in sparkles. I always wear gloves when I hold the sparkler, just to protect my hands from any sparks. Remember the Firework Code, ALWAYS READ THE INSTRUCTIONS AND STAY SAFE.

Here are some other things to remember:

- Light sparklers one at a time and wear gloves- Never give sparklers to children aged under five- Only buy fireworks that are marked with the BS7114 code- Keep fireworks in a closed tin/box- Follow the instructions on each firework- Light them at arm’s length, using a tape- Stand well back- NEVER go back to a firework if it doesn’t work- NEVER put fireworks in your pocket- NEVER throw fireworks- KEEP your pets indoors.

I have made a fun poem about Bonfire night and fireworks, see if you can see what I have done with the word HYDROCEPHALUS, perhaps you could send me your own poems using these letters.

The Hissing fireworks prepare to launchAnd Yellow, Darting sparksRocket into Orbit.The Colours and Energy of the Popping Catherine wheels,Leap High into the sky, with Amazing speed.Before Landing, Useless and Spluttering,Back down on the ground again.

Can you find the letters in the poem that make the word H Y D R O C E P H A L U S I have made things a little easier for you by using a capital letter for some of the words.

October - What’s On this Month?

Half term yippee! Although some of you may have already broken up from school. With half term, also comes the darker nights, which means we have to all be aware of keeping safe. Mummy Bear has put some fluorescent tape on my school duffle coat, which reflects in the dark when I am walking home from school. It helps cars and other people see me more easily.

I also have a pair of trainers that have a reflective strip on the heels, so when I walk they flash. Mummy says I look like a sparkler, but she can always see me easily when I am walking on ahead with my friends after school. My friend Felix makes his wheelchair more visible too. He puts reflectors in his wheel spokes and they look amazing when he wheels alongside me, sometimes he goes really fast and the reflectors look like one big flashing light.

A FUN RECIPE FOR HALLOWEEN

Chocolate Sparklers

You will need: -

- Wash your hands before you begin- 6 or more chocolate finger biscuits (depending on how many friends and family you have and how hungry you are!)- A small cup of hundreds and thousands or sugar strands (you can buy these in the supermarket)- Greaseproof paper (to stop the fingers sticking – the chocolate fingers that is, not YOUR fingers)- A baking tray- Cup of hot water (but let a grown up do this for you)

Take one of the chocolate fingers and dip the end quickly into the cup of hot water, so the chocolate just starts to melt.

Put the melted end of the biscuit into the cup of hundreds and thousands or sugar sprinkles

Place the biscuits quickly and carefully onto a baking tray, lined with greaseproof paper

Put the tray into the fridge and let the chocolate set……..before……..

EATING!!!!!!!!

Shine Information

Don’t forget to read my blog and to keep up to date with the Shine website.

We have new Shine wristbands and ribbons! Check them out on the Shine ebay shop or on facebook.

All of the Shine merchendise is available to order on the lead up to Christmas, includng the Recipe Book, which includes contributions from inspirational people such as Tanni Gray-Thompson and our very own Gobi Raganathan. Don’t forget about the Shine Christmas cards either. Contact Andrew Ellis on T: 01733 421307 or E: andrew.ellis@shinecharity.org.uk

Next Month ...November – I am sure we will all be thinking about the countdown to Christmas and grown ups will be making lists of food, presents and how much money they need to save. Ummhh, that’s got me thinking, must start making my list of things to do, this always helps me remember when I write it down. Oh, Mummy has just said my list should start with…’Have a shower and get ready for bed’. I didn’t WANT to remember THAT.

Benny’s ‘Tip of the Month’

I know I am always telling you all about drinking plenty of water, but I am going to have to say it yet again, just to remind everyone. I know the weather is colder and you may prefer hot drinks, you can have those too, but keep trying to take sips of water throughout the day, especially after any exercise. Mummy always lets me have a hot chocolate after my swimming lessons on a Friday, but then I make sure I have a glass of water with my tea later. Daddy always reminds me that lions drink water and look how strong they are!

email: benny.bear@shinecharity.org.ukTel: 01733 555988

Benny Bear Club website: www.bennysblog.co.ukShine website: www.shinecharity.org.uk