This is a series of emails sent to me last week from Theodore, the youngest of my 5 children and the only boy.

Hello Mother

Now I’m about to give you the biggest list for candy ever! And all I ask is that you bring 99% of the list back  😀

So without further ado, here is my list.

1)    2 x Boxes of Reese’s peanut butter puffs cereal (I assume that you can get it in the supermarket. If you can’t find it, ask someone ok?)

2)    2 x Flips chocolate coated pretzels (you can get them at the supermarket too but if not ask someone again)

3)    If you can get them, please can you buy some Harry Potter chocolate frogs

4)    2 x big bags of peanut butter M&M’s please!!

5)    2x boxes of cookies n’ cream pop tarts!!!

6)    Can you get some Willy Wonka chocolate too?

7)    Some bags of random flavours pop rocks

8)    A big bag of Hershey’s kisses

9)    A few Hostess Twinkies would be great too

10) 2 x 2 packs of Butter Fingers bars

11) And finally! Please can you get me a big bag of Reese’s peanut butter cups?

12) Also get lots of random stuff please, please PLEASE!! Oh, and also any random cereals that you can find?

And now Mother, here is something for you. I was listening to this pod cast and there was a really interesting lady who I thought you might like to hear talking………(Theo then writes about this lady on the pod cast in the most endearing way) and then ends his email with

I LOVE YOU and have a nice time in America but don’t forget to get me all that candy J

Theodore.

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I sent him an email straight back.

Darling Boy

You are not asking for much are you? I will do my best but I am making no promises.

It will also mean my having to buy a much larger suitcase to fit it all into.

I assume that this is a money making scheme being the entrepreneur that you are?

I definitely want a share in the profits, as I’ve had to put my money up front first.

That’s the deal partner, take it or leave it.

I miss you lots and love you loads Mummy XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

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To which Theo replied

Oh you’ll be pleased to hear Mother that I have one last thing to add to the list.

Fluff spread – It’s like marshmallow and you spread it on toast. You’ll be able to get it in the supermarket along with the other stuff. Ok Mommy? Oh, and I so nearly forgot, can you get me an American football please? Just a small one is ok. Thanks Mum.

Regards

Theodore xx

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Dear Theodore

What’s with the Regards bit at the end of your email?

Lots of love Mummy xxxxxxxxxxxxxx

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Dear Mother

Regards is something polite that you write at the end of a business email. Didn’t you know that?

Love Theodore xx

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So here we have a flavour of some of the emails sent trans-atlantically during my stay here in the States. The loving communications between a Mother and her son. Some may see it as blatant cupboard love, others as witnessing the makings of an entrepreneur.

One of the funniest conversations that I’ve had here in New York was last Friday when I started to look out some of things that Theo had asked me for. I went to the M&M’s store first and at least managed to tick Peanut Butter M&M’s off the list.

When Cerise at the checkout asked me – ‘Can I help you with anything else today?’ I don’t expect she was thinking that I would start pulling a list a metre long out of my pocket and ask her to help me go to find all the things. ‘Scuse me lady, where d’ya says you’s from?’ asked Cerise.

‘I’m from London originally, but I live in Indonesia now’ I replied. Cerise looked puzzled and raised an eyebrow

‘You tellin’ me that you can’t buy this candy over there? In Indo? or in London, England?’

‘Well no not really’ I replied, – ‘you can buy some of it, but only a few things like Hershey bars and a few Reese’s bit and pieces, oh, and M&M’s of course’

Cerise threw her hands up in the air in shock and horror and let out a load yelp.

‘Oh my Lord!’ she snorted laughing ‘I would just HATE to live in a place like that, just HATE! to live somewhere that you can’t buy this sort of candy. That’d kill me for sure’

‘No ways I’d ever wanna live in a place like that!’

I was slightly lost for words whilst taking in the enormity of Cerise’s disclosure.

‘The thing is Cerise’ I said after a moments pause and finding myself feeling rather defensive ‘We have different things in England such as Marmite and Shakespeare’.