"I saved the city again, it was off the chain!"

It's that time of year again where me and the boys can be found standing around in toy stores for extended periods of time feeling up small plastic bags. We love a new LEGO Minifigures series release, for the boys it means new characters and for me, it means new parts and the recent LEGO Batman Movie Minifigures are the best yet. After receiving a surprise package over the weekend of two of those saute after blind bags it has kick awakened that 'got to have them all' feeling that I get with every series.

We are all really excited about the release of the new LEGO Batman Movie (the trailer is amazing) and the Minifigures and kits that have been released alongside the movie have got the three of us pining (not something we need this soon after Christmas). With Cave Batman and Arkham Joker toying with me from the shelf (I love a good Pun), I rang my mate Steve who works at our local Smyths to make sure that they definitely had lots in because I knew where I was heading first thing Monday morning. 

 For me it was all about Vacation Batman and Lobster-lovin Batman, but the entire series is a must have. As expected that evening the boys began their plans on what they think our next big build is going to be so that should be interesting over the next few weeks.

Right before the boys went to bed they had decided that Vacation Batman needed a pool so while the boys were off to bed, I clanged around downstairs rooting through the LEGO (very zen), finding parts to build them a bat-shaped pool, worthy of the dark knights awesomeness. One of the things I love most about a new Minifigure series is the inspiration for building that comes with them.

Today we couldn't come home from our trip out without swinging by Smyths for another bag feel up session. I must have felt up 150 bags and I still can't find Pink Power Batgirl or Glam Metal Batman which was very disappointing (there's always tomorrow though).

 If you haven't seen them yet, the new LEGO Batman Movie sets are definitely worth looking at. I'm desperate to get my hands on all of them.

“If you like books with happy endings then put this book down immediately.”

Never underestimate the determination I have for completing a collection. I'm a regular visitor of charity shops, wherever we end up on a day out if Theres a charity shop near by ill sniff it out. I've found some great things over the years but mainly (like the basis of this short post) it's all about books. The boys plough through them so picking up cheap books is a necessity. About 8 months a go I found a copy of A series of unfortunate events book one in a charity shop in bridgenorth, I remember the books well from when I was younger and although I'd not read them all I was sure that Seth would really enjoy them despite the gloomy undertone. When I walked in to the next charity shop along and spotted book three staring back at me I took that as a sign.  Vowing never to buy a full price copy of the books our collection began.

Over the first three months we had managed to track down another four of the books and was well on the way to a complete collection of all thirteen. As with any collecting that appears in our day to day life, hunting down Lemony's melancholy works was becoming addictive.

On month 6 of our 8 month literacy adventure it was clear that Opeie was fully on board with the cause when he single handedly tracked down another five of the books (which cost me £1 for them all). We were a little disheartened when we realised at home that we already owned book six and now had two copies but it was a learning curve and I made a note of the copies needed in my phone.

Within two weeks book 4 and book twelve were in our possession our collection was coming to an unfortunate but exciting climax...

For a month and a half the Elusive book 8 had got the better of us,until this Saturday, while house and dog sitting for a friend we took Ferris the dog for his daily bowel movement escapade and walked him into Lichfield town centre where I quickly spotted an Oxfam. Myself and the boys excitedly entered the shop as if we were going to buy a wonka bar in the hopes of a tour around the Wonka factory. On one of the shelves sat book 11, Seth dived towards the fixture incase another Lemony Snicket enthusiast was in store and there tucked neatly behind book 11 was the final book in our collection.

 Book 8 had done it's best to elude us but this time it was myself and my mini readers that came out on top. There was nothing unfortunate about this book adventure and it made it even more clear just how exciting a good read can be.