More Spring Cards and Crafts for Children

The boys have been busy making again, the above one is made by stamping with half a potato and mini made this all by him.

This one is Maxi's, his writing is getting to be excellant and he did the spelling all by himself.

Maxi did the cutting out on this one and it has become a classic in this house!

This is Maxi's Easter Bunny Basket.

This was maxi's Easter Bunny Egg, which he made all by himself at school.  He didnt win the competation, but them some of the eggs were pretty perfect a nd I am sure the parents had more of a hand in them than I did!

When the Sun comes out to play, so do we

It is so much more fun when the sun is shining and we have been making the most of the last few days of MadDad being on Annual Leave, before I have the boys to myself for the last week of the holidays next week.

Vanilla Scones from The Pioneer Woman - Yum

Chocolate cakes - never fail to be eaten

I tried this, not very successfully, but had a great day out.

The boys went to Locomotion at Shildon, which is part of the National Railway Museum

They had a brill time and are already asking to go back.

We all enjoyed the sunshine in Saltburn yesterday (after football practice), mainly spent in the Valley Gardens

Ice creams all round.

There is a project taking shape in the garden

Boys and their toys!

I so don't want this week to end and MadDad to go back to work.

Farndale and the Daffodils

Daffodils (1804)

I WANDER'D lonely as a cloud

That floats on high o'er vales and hills, When all at once I saw a crowd,

A host, of golden daffodils; Beside the lake, beneath the trees,

Fluttering and dancing in the breeze.

Continuous as the stars that shine

And twinkle on the Milky Way, They stretch'd in never-ending line

Along the margin of a bay: Ten thousand saw I at a glance,

Tossing their heads in sprightly dance.

The waves beside them danced; but they

Out-did the sparkling waves in glee: A poet could not but be gay,

In such a jocund company: I gazed -- and gazed -- but little thought

What wealth the show to me had brought:

For oft, when on my couch I lie

In vacant or in pensive mood, They flash upon that inward eye

Which is the bliss of solitude; And then my heart with pleasure fills,

And dances with the daffodils.

Photos were taken my Mini and Maxi on my point and click

By William Wordsworth (1770-1850)

Farndale

MadDad and the boys went Farndale to see the daffodils yesterday afternoon (I was zonked from Swimming with them in the morning, I am off for blood tests next week to try and find out what is wrong).

It is said that Wordsworth wrote the above poem after visiting Farndale. Well this year daffodils are late and the ground is very boggy, but the boys had a lovely afternoon and loved watching the spring lambs too.

We are very lucky to have this on our doorstep and it always reminds me when MadDad and I were courting.

Egg Hunts, Child labor, Bonnets and Boogieing

Ormsby Hall, a place I have visited in my youth, but not since, but we took the boys on an Easter egg hunt there, which was fantastic.

They had to find all the clues in the Hall gardens.

Mini and Maxi had so much fun and I got very muddy in the process, but it was a fun hour on what was a dreary Easter Monday.

Ormesby Hall is a National Trust Property and we have annual membership, so it costs us nothing to get in and this year the boys are getting to the stage where they can enjoy the activity packs in each room, which is only 50p for the book and you get the pencil free!

One of the great things about Ormesby Hall, which was once home to the Pennyman Family is its Victorian Kitchen and Scullery.  The boys loved joining in with the washing. The volunteer (a teacher in her day job) was amazing and she really captivated them with the tales of turning on fires at five in the morning and also the fact that they would wash 68 sheets a week!

It was great that it was so hands on, they got to use a dolly and a mangle and also have a go at ironing (with cold irons)!  There is also a model railway, well three of them set up on the top floor, which is great for little and big men!  The Cleveland Mounted Police are headquartered in the Hall's stables too.

So we then came home and the boys decorated their bonnets for the Clubs Easter Party, which was last night too

I love the fact that they did it all themself themselfust a little help cutting out the egg shapes and adding the glue.

Finally, I leave you with the boys doing Big Fish Little Fish at the party, they danced the night away will 10pm, I came home early at 8pm as I wasn't felling well, they outlasted me!

Easter Bakes, Making New Traditions

We have been busy in the kitchen this weekend, making and baking and bring in new traditions to TheMadHouse.

Hot Cross Buns

"Hot cross buns, Hot cross buns,
One a penny, two a penny,
Hot cross buns."

"If you have no daughters, 

give them to your sons,

One a penny, two a penny,

Hot cross buns."

These have gone down well with mini and MadDad, so much so that I had to make extra!

White Bread buns, which I make the dough in the bread-maker and then divide and leave to prove.  The temptation is to eat them hot, but my they really do give you indigestion.

Magic Mummy mentioned that Tesco had Easter Apron and Hats sets in for 78p and as Mini loves to dress up, we went and got him one and he decided that he needed a strawberry smoothie.

 

He loves making banana smoothies, just milk, natural yogurt and a little honey.  He likes the hand mixer too!!

Chocolate Simnel Cake

Neither MadDad or the boys are keen on fruit cake, so I thought we could try a chocolate Simnel cake.

Ingredients

100g/4oz dark chocolate, broken in pieces
100g/4oz caster sugar
100g/4oz softened butter, plus extra
3 eggs, separated
50g/2oz ground almonds
50g/2oz self-raising flour
1 tsp baking powder

Method

1. Preheat oven to 180C/350F/Gas 4/fan oven 160C. Butter an 18cm/7in deep round cake tin; line the base. Melt the chocolate in a bowl over a pan of simmering water.
2. Beat the sugar and butter until light and fluffy. Beat in the yolks, one at a time. Stir in the almonds and chocolate.
3. Whisk the egg whites in a bowl until stiff peaks form (see tip). Fold a quarter of the egg white into the chocolate mixture, then sift in a quarter of the flour and baking powder. Repeat three more times until the egg white and flour is evenly mixed in.

4. Pour the mixture into the tin. Bake for 35-40 minutes until risen and firm. Cool for five minutes, turn out on to a wire rack, peel off the paper and cool completely. 

 I then added some homemade marzipan and melted chocolate to decorate.

Easter Plans

Easter starts for us today.  Maxi had his first ever assembly all about the First Easter.

MadDad made it back from work in time and we both really enjoyed watching our boy, who had a wonderful strong and clear speaking voice.  It was such a joy to watch a group of four and five year olds clearly enjoying themselves.

MadDad is off for the week, so we are planning on lots of family time together and with this in mind, I have exchanged some Tesco Vouchers for some restaurant ones, but even though I did this over a fortnight ago, we are still waiting!

Our Plans include, but are dependant on weather:

Egg hunt at National Trust - we have annual membership

Visits to English Heritage sites, again we have annual membership (via Tesco vouchers)

Easter Dance Party at my Brother and Sister in Laws Club, including Bonnet competition and egg decorating competition.

Decorating bonnets and eggs for the Children's Dance Party

A trip to Fardale to see the daffodils

Making a start of Easter Egg mountain!

Car boot on Sunday, we are going to take the boys with us.

Visits to Kirkleatham Museum, Preston Park, Mima and Wet and wild.

Danby Moors Centre

Saltburn Valley woodlands centre

Duckings swimming

Day learning to crochet - yes I am so excited about this, yep almost giddy

Bric a Brac sale at the Club.

National Railway Museaum at York

Baking, making and lots of cooking and creating

Visit lots of local parks.  The mini's have a list and they like them all for different reasons.

DVD's, popcorn and cuddles

Whitby

Plus we have plans to get some seeds planted and also we do need to repaint the render outside.  Oh and I also have paint for the sitting room and dinning room too, but I am not going to make MadDad do everything in this week, we have had the paint since the January Sales!

So I am planning on having a great Easter and I hope you do too.  I will be posting, but possibly not commenting due to time, so please don't be offended.