Social Club Childrens Party

I somethimes think that pictures can say things much better than words, but have to say a great big thank you to my wonderful sister in and law and the Ladies of Steel for putting on such a fantastic event yet again!!

Cousins in the calm before the storm

Kissin Cousins

The Club looking all festive

Best friends having a bop

Mince pie number 5

Putting the world to rights!

You can never have enough chocolate mum!

Oh no, see the lip just starting to wobble

Ending the night raving on the stage

Big Fish, Little Fish, Cardboard Box

The boys fell asleep in the car on the way home at 10pm and we put them straight to bed.  There is nothing better than watching my children have fun.  In fact that is the equation for this Christmas Happy Children = Happy Mum

MadDad is at home until the children go back to school on 4 January, so can not promise a daily post, but safe to say we are having a wonderful time as a family and we are introducing the boys to the world of Indiana Jones, after having to buy the Star Wars original trilogy on DVD after minimad wore them out on VHS!

Plus we both have or had a nasty cold and are soldiering on regardless.

A Home Made Christmas

Pennies have been tight this year at TheMadHouse, so we have put our heads together and made as much as we can.

Rice and Lavender hot pad with removable cover

 

Felt pocket tissue cover

 

Home made tea cup candles

 

Basic wrapping with brown paper, wool, string and ribbon  - I am of the opinion that good packaging detracts from the homemade feel

 

I tied home made gingham and mother of pearl hearts to the wrapping.

We  had printed postcards of some photo's we had taken over the year at Moo.

I made pouches to hold them

The minimads decorated 90p shoppings bags from Hobbycraft

 

I made unique appliqué book bags for my neices.

Filled with home made crayon rolls

Paint brush and water colour rolls

and pen rolls

We included a good pad of artists paper in their bags too.

We made pear butter from gifted pears over the summer

The boys made calenders

We supplemented the gifts with some fantastic charity shop finds (Father Christmas Cushions 50p brand new)

All in all, I am really proud of what we managed to achieve over a short space of time, with little on the resource front.  The thing is that it has all been made with love and the person receving the gifts.

 

A Wonderful White Christmas

I do hope that everyone is having a great Christmastime.  We have been having a fantastic time here in TheMadHouse.

Christmas Eve was spent wrapping, wrapping and more wrapping, as all the presents were hidden in the loft until last minute to make sure that we dont spoil it for the children.

We also made sure that we ate the mince pie and carrot and also drank the drink left for Father Christmas.  The Mini's managed till about 5.50am, but we didnt come downstairs until 6.30am.  The rule here is that stockings are opened straight away and that other gifts after breakfast and once we are all dressed.  Rhis was no issue for the mini's as Father Christmas had left light sabers and malteezers in their stockings.

We then spend most of the morning, in between MadDad checking on Lunch (he did it all this year, from prapping the veg on Christmas eve, to making the sausage meat stuffing with MiniMad) opening and playing with presents.  The boys loved everything that they were given and were mighty lucky in that there are some very generous people out there (we were lucky to have been nominated for the Mumsnet Secret Santa).

We all sat down for a wonderful feast, including Boy Booze (sparkling pomegranet juice) for the mini's and a glass of pink fizz for me (only one as I was driving later in the day).  Being only the four of us for Christmas dinner, we had the things we like to eat, turkey, stuffing, sausages, roasted veg (carrots, parsnip, swash, onions and turnip from the garden), roast potatoes and gravy.  It was yummy.

We then all had a relaxing afternoon playing with more of the boys toys, they really loved their Leapfrog Tag systems that I picked up in the sales last January!!

We then went to my inlaws for a late afternoon tea, the boys loved spending time with Nana and Granddad and were glued to the TV for The Gruffello.

Then back home for me and MadDad to have a lovly relaxing evening and lots of cuddles from Mr Smudge.

We have spent today at Harrogate and spent our Christmas money (from the inlaws), they were very generous.  I dont really like enclosed shopping areas and we all love Harrogate with all the open spaces, which were filled with Snowmen.  We all managed to get something we wanted, so a successful outing for all.

We are really looking forward to tomorrow, which we are spending at my mums with my brother, sister in law and niece, there will be present exchanging, eating, drinking, joking and lots and lots of messing about. 

Christmas Eve Elves

We have a tradition here in the mad house which has evolved from when I was small.  I always got a new pair of pajamas on Christmas Eve to go to bed in.

I dont know when I stopped thinking they were from the elves and know they were from my parents, but we have carried out this tradition throughout our grown up life too.

We have also been keen to do this for the MiniMads and this year decided to expand it a little and leave a bag of goodies from the eveles on their door.  We have been lucky enough to receive a couple of DVD's as gifts for the boys, so included them, in addition to a book each, a colouring book, some reindeer food and a little chocolate Father Christmas.

We hung the bags I made on their doors last night after putting them tobed and also popped our new PJ's on the floor too for them to find.

It has made for a very excited morning and will make for a very family, snuggley day as the snow is falling again here in North Yorkshire.

I am not sure how much or little I will be posting over the festive period.  I do find that escaping into the kitchen, where the laptop currently is really wonderful so may not stop at all!  

 

A Personal Panto

My Sister in Law and Brother usually substidise a trip for the children of members of the club to a local Pantomime each year, but his has been getting more and more expensive, so for the first time this year, a local company, The Beverly Artistes came and put on a panto for the children in the Club.

What a sucess.  it was fantastic.  5 performers put on Cinderella.  The children loved it and all joined in.  The parents all joined in too and me and MadDad had a fantastic time.

It was great that the children could really participate, move around pretty freely and just enjoy themselves in a safe environment, all for a pound per person.

There were times when they were transfixed and times when they could shout loud enough or stop laughing.  It wasn't too lewd, or high brow, it was perfectly pitched.

Then the children danced the night away. MaxiMad and My niece V had just the best time dancing together.

Both boys fell asleep in the car on the way home and haven't stopped talking about their panto since.  Thanks Sis and Bro and cant wait for Aladdin next year!

Christmas Cakes are done and dusted

I have made and decorated 4 large Christmas cakes this year with the help of my wonderful family (recipe can be found here)

This one is for my in laws, My Father in law loves fruit cake and prefers square cakes!!

I am a fan of retro and old fashions cake toppers of my youth, so have grabbed them off my Mum and MIL when ever I have had the chance.

This one is for my mum

This one is for my mums best friend, who always treats the boys like her own grandchildren and is a very speical lady.

Finally ours, which has had to have a full re-ice after minimad ate it all!!

I have put it out of reach this time and it will be cut New Years Eve and served with some cheese as is the Yorkshire Way!!

Once you have tasted home made cakes, there is no going back.

So if anyone sees any vintage cake toppers, please let me know, as people tend not to always return them!!

A Pause in Advent - Joy

joy / joi/ • n. a feeling of great pleasure and happiness: tears of joy the joy of being alive. ∎  a thing that causes joy: the joys of Manhattan. • v. [intr.] poetic/lit. rejoice: I felt shame that I had ever joyed in his discomfiture or pain.  2009 has brought me lots of joy, I have shed the above tears and I have a family that brings me joy every day.

 In the bible joy is more than an emotion it combines a sence of happiness with a state of blessedness.

 

For me this advent has been a time of biblical joy.  I have found the time to find happiness in the everyday, in the small things and rather than just in the build up to the 25th December.

 

In fact MadDad and I commented that we have enjoyed advent for its own this year, we have taken the time to sit and rejoyed in our lifes and teach our children imporatant aspects of the advent story and they both see christmas day as the day we celebrate Jesus' birth.  

 

Yes for them presents also play a role in their joy, but the giving in so much as the receiving.  They have learned the joy in giving their freinds cookies instead of cards, giving small personalised Christmas Stockings to their best friends.

 

By giving each day a task we have lived in the present day and took time to enjoy each one rather than just spending the time waiting for the 25th to arrive.

 

This is the best lesson that I have learnt this advent to enjoy each day for its own merits, to live for the now and what you have rather than what you might be getting.

 

For this and my family I truly rejoice.

 

Thank you Floss for allowing me this platform and this excuse to sit down and contemplate the meaning of advent and of this very special time of year.  

 

Merry Christmas One and All