Hi,  it's Erika back again. Remember me? I live with Mum, Dad and my little sister Ellie. There used to be a Headless Ogre living under my bed, but he's gone now.

Dad said: 'Thank goodness he's left the building, like Elvis'.  I'm not sure who Elvis is; maybe he's a friend of Dad's.

A whole year has gone by and Ellie has started school. I'm in year three. That's so exciting and grown-up, except horrible Alex is still in my class. Guess what (a bad guess- what), Alex has a little brother, Aidan, who's in Ellie's class. Alex and Aidan have a really funny second name; it's Applekamp. I start giggling just thinking about it. Some kids teased Alex about his surname, but he just punched them in the tummy, so no-one does anymore. His brother Aidan always has a runny nose. Ellie calls it a 'drippy nose.'

One day Ellie stopped in the middle of her show-and-tell talk, pointed at Aidan and said: 'Yuck, he's got a drippy nose.' Why doesn't he wipe it?'

Aidan started crying and the teacher gave him a whole box of tissues.

Alex came to me and said that if ever my dorky little sister told the whole class about Aidan's runny nose again, he'd punch her lights out'. I hate Alex.

Last week Ellie gave some more show-and-tell talks that got her into trouble. Mum and Dad were called to the school again, just like when I gave talks about the Headless Ogre.

Dad said: 'Not that flamin' school again!   What's their problem now? Something they dreamt up probably'.

Anyway, I should tell you all what Ellie's talk was about. She's been telling her class that at our house we have a magic money-box that has heaps and heaps of money in it. (Ellie stretched her hand up as high as she could to show just how much is in this box). She told the class that there was plenty of money for special holidays to Fiji ( Ellie is crazy about going to Fiji ever since she saw a video about it at school) and to buy a Queen Custard Tart doll and red patent shoes (something else Ellie is crazy about).

Remember when Ellie and I both wanted a Queen Custard Tart doll and Mum wouldn't let us have one? Our Nanna gave us one for Christmas, which made Mum cross, cos she said it was sending us the wrong message. I didn't know what Mum meant. She told Ellie that we'd have to share it, but Ellie snatched it away and said it's just hers. 

Back to our 'Magic Money Box'. My little sister told her class that because we have a Magic Money-Box with lots and lots of money, we're going to Fiji and New Zealand in the school holidays. Dad said: 'This holiday gets better every time I hear about it'. Mum got cross and told him not to encourage Ellie. Dad just told her not to be silly and get her knickers in a knot.

Ellie also told the kids in her class that their parents probably have Magic Money-Boxes too, but like our Mum and Dad, they probably hide it. Ellie says she's looked everywhere for ours and still can't find it, but she knows for sure that we have one. Now all the kids are going home and hunting all over the house for their own Magic Money-Box.Then of course they get upset when they can't find it or their parents tell them there isn't one.

Ellie doesn't understand that the Magic Money-Box is just pretend. Mum and Dad do talk about it, but it's a joke. When we need something fixed in the house, Mum and Dad look at each other and say: 'Where's that coming from? The Magic Money-Box?' or when Christmas is coming Dad says: 'Out with good old Magic Money-Box again. What would we do without it?'

I understand it's a joke, but Ellie thinks it's real. Mum and Dad tried to tell her, but she covered her ears and said: 'La,la,la, la'.

Alex told me that now all these really bad robbers are going to come to our house in the night, cos the whole town knows we've got lots of money hidden away.

Mum and Dad went to the school and talked to Ellie's teacher, Ms Parker-Carr ( she used to be my teacher too) and the Principal Ms Fitch. I heard Mum tell my Nanna all about it on the phone. Mum had it on speaker phone and I heard everything. Mum doesn't know that sometimes I listen into talks on the phone, but I find out all sorts of interesting stuff, like family fights and who's got fat, or spending too much money.

Mum told Nanna that Ms Parker-Carr and Ms Fitch were concerned about Mum and Dad teaching Ellie and me to be materialistic. I'm not sure what that means, except the school seems to think it's bad.

They said not only was Ellie giving talks about a Magic Money-Box, but that the reason she can't find it is that she thinks the Headless Ogre has run off with it. They said it was very serious and that other parents had complained. Mum told Nanna that Dad burst out laughing and said 'Double Whammy! What an imagination our kid has' ( I hope he thinks I do too)

My Nanna asked Mum whether she laughed too. Mum told her she nearly did, but held it back.

Nanna said: 'That's just like Brent' (that's Dad's name). Mum went on to say that Dad was a bit rude to Ms Parker-Carr and Ms Fitch and told them to get a life and that they wouldn't know a joke if it bit them on the bum.' I heard Nanna gasp. I think it was funny, what my Dad said.

Ms Parker-Carr asked my parents if they wanted Ellie to see the same doctor that I saw when I was giving talks about the Headless Ogre?

Dad said : 'Bloody hell no! We're just thankful that our girls have good imaginations even after attending your stifling, anal-retentive Catholic school'. My Nanna gasped again and said we'd have to change schools for sure now. Mum said she wasn't sure, but maybe.

Then Ellie's teacher got all red in the face and flustered and Ms Fitch went really quiet, but Mum said, very angry.

Ms Fitch then said: ' I think we're done here, Mr and Mrs Edwards. You are of course welcome to enrol your daughters in another school; one that's not so 'stifling' and that other expression that I refuse to repeat'. Good day'.

When they went outside, Dad made things worse by mimicking the two teachers. He spoke in a lady's voice and said to Mum: Well Mr and Mrs Edwards, you're quite welcome to enrol your daughters in another school; one that isn't so stifling and...'

Mum told him to' Shoosh!' as Ms Parker-Carr was right behind them, going back to her classroom.

My Nanna said: 'Every time your girls open their mouths you get into trouble and maybe if you wore better clothes, dear, and didn't look quite so, um, 'hippy-ish' and Brent could learn to be more respectful'.

Mum got really cross with my Nanna and said: 'You're on their side then! Thanks very much.' Then Mum hung up and I tip-toed away so she wouldn't know I'd been listening. Now my Mum isn't talking to my Nanna. She most likely will again in a week.

It seems like we might have to change schools. I don't really want to, but I hate Ms Parker-Carr and Ms Fitch and I think they don't like us much either.

When I heard Mum talking to Dad about it, I asked them where they would send us and they said they didn't know. They'd have to see, which is what grown ups say when they don't want to tell you something.

Ellie still thinks that we have a Magic Money Box and she won't change her mind. She  cried when Dad tried again to tell her it's just a joke.  Ellie is still such a baby.  

Guess what though ( a good guess-what this time), we really are going to Fiji for the holidays. Awesome!