Mom and Dad would stay in bed on Sunday morning but the kids would have to go to church.

Both my mum and dad were great readers and we would go every Saturday morning to the library and my sister and I had a library card when we could pass off something as a signature and all of us would come with an armful of books.

My memories are of my dad taking me to football on Saturday mornings and my mum taking me swimming. Those are the things I remember from my childhood not sitting around the table debating capitalism and the profit squeeze.

Barack Obama knows that to create an economy built to last we need to focus on middle-class families. Families who stay up on Sunday nights pacing the floor like my dad did while their children tucked in bed dream big dreams. Families who aren't sure what Monday morning will bring but who believe our nation's best days are still ahead.

My father-in-law gets up at 5 o'clock in the morning and watches the Discovery Channel. I don't know why there's this big rush to do this.

How many women have the courage to start properly with a cold cold bath early in the morning? I jump in throw the water cold as ice and after the first plunge I am happy.

Then there is a still higher type of courage - the courage to brave pain to live with it to never let others know of it and to still find joy in life to wake up in the morning with an enthusiasm for the day ahead.

The cool thing about writing is that there is really never a typical day. Sometimes I get a rhythm going and head off to work every morning and come home at night. Sometimes I'll write for two days straight and then be utterly blank for the next two.

I know a lot of people dread going to work every morning but my work is playing pretend and doing stunts and screaming. It's a lot of fun and I get to play dress up. Every day is exciting and different and new and cool. I couldn't be more grateful.

You show up in Paris and on the drive from the airport to the hotel you're like 'This is so cool! I want to see something! I want to go to the Eiffel Tower!' And then you leave the next morning. You think Oh I didn't get to do anything. I tell people: I've been just about everywhere but I've seen nothing.