IT’S been hectic since the children broke up for half term. It’s striking a balance between keeping them occupied, stimulated, nutritionally balanced, exercised and happy so that they don’t start squeaking at me in a way that makes me want to reach for the WD40.

How do you stop that whining sound coming out from the mouths of perpetually dissatisfied children?

The autumn winter childhood calendar, after the school summer holidays, is Halloween, Bonfire Night and Christmas. We then have a three month-ish (moon dependent) break until Easter. These are all key milestones in the everevolving treat-fest of modern childhood.

Did you all survive trick or treat? This US-based tradition has finally been adopted in the UK. I remember reading about pumpkin patches and Halloween trick or treat in Charles Schulz’s Peanuts; but for me as a child it was called Mischievous Night, when it was genuinely trick or treat.

It was sweets or knock and run. Now there is an unspoken rule in that if there is a pumpkin outside your door then you are Halloween friendly and happy to be visited. Otherwise, leave well alone.

My children are five and ten so for them these are pivotal occasions on the calendar and it is expected that we dress up, celebrate and attend. I was lucky this year as the five-year-old wanted to be a witch’s tiger and the 10-year-old an axe murderer - I had all the rig in-house, so no purchasing necessary.

Pumpkins are easier to carve then Swedes, which were my childhood vegetable lantern, and my local shop had some in store two hours before we were due to trick or treat. I was able to knock up two jack-o-lanterns in no time at all. I won’t win any carving prizes but they did the job.

Then there is Bonfire Night, with fireworks, sparklers and blazing wood pyres.

In the midst of all this there was a cinema trip, a visit to granny and grandpa in Kent, play dates and sleepovers. I also released an audio version of my book, which went live on Halloween, not to mention keeping my website refreshed, the pets fed, the house clean and the washing done. We have had a funpacked half term but now that they have gone back to school - what it really means is six weeks until the Christmas holidays. Argh!

By the way – I still haven’t turned my heating on. Have you?