Maxi's Foundation Stage Graduation

Thursday was Maxi's last day at school in Reception before he goes up to year one in September.

This year has been a amazing one for my little man, one that I hope will give him a great foundation to all the years of learning he has to come.  The biggest part of this year has been his wonderful teacher Mrs Sayer and her two wonderful teaching assistants (Mrs Holmes and Mrs Jackson)

Mrs Sayer has a wonderful way with the children and they all adore her, she brings learning to life through play and is the perfect Reception teacher (which is why I was overjoyed to find out Mini is in her class next year).  Not once has she pushed Maxi too hard, she has a great grasp of his abilities and keeps him challenged.

Anyway Wednesday night was his graduation and he had a great time and didn't want the party to end.

 Maxi running to us with his Math certificate

All the children got a certificate and a book and then Maxi got a certificate for being the best Mathematician.  We were very proud indeed.

 

Dancing the night away

What is in my handbag Meme and an award

I have been tagged by Emily at Babyrambles to show you what is in my handbag, so all for keeping it real, here is what is in my great fatface bag (which was a great bargain in the sale for £15 with my Christmas money). Firstly a need a washable bag, secondly it is great now I no longer need a nappy bag woohoo.

In the front pockets, I have my iphone, in its cath kidston case and my coin purse

In the bag I have:

Organised mum diary

Bright ideas note book

Shopping list book

Camera

Tissues

Colouring pencils

3 pens

purse

aromatherapy oil

2 lip glosses

Spare Specs for Mini

mini sewing kit

painkillers

Glasses wipe

Leather gloves

Woolly Hat
Groceries pouch

So there you go, nothing out of the ordinary, well apart from the fact that there is no sweets in my bag, so I am going to tag 5 others and get them to show me what is in their bag.  Over to:

Heather from Notes from Lapland - I was wondering is she had to carry de-icer in her bag!
Michelle at Mummy from The Heart
Tasha at Wham-Bam
Penny at the HenHouse
Beci at the Ramblings of an everyday mummy

I have also been awarded a lovely sunshine award from The Moiderer, Michelle at Mummy from the heart, Silent Beauty at American Mom in England  and Magic Mummy at the Diary of a Frugal Family which is great and I will pop in my side bar for all to see.

I am supposed to pass this on to 12 people, but you all bring sunshine to my life dear readers, so if you don't have it already, consider yourself tagged, add it to your side bar and I will add you to this post.

Giving and Receving

I have said it before and I will say it again. The Internet, the WWW, the blogosphere, it has been wonderful to me. It has kept me sane on the dark nights when sleep has refused to blanket me with it warming cocoon, it has kept me company whilst sitting in bed waiting for healing to start and it has made me giggle in my darkest moments.

With this is mind, I am always more than happy to give when I can to fellow bloggers.

 

First off, a small piece of fabric for the lovely Mary Poppins, Mary is making a curtain and this will be used in it, Mary and I have a thing, we both understand the horrow of a child with a chest condition.

Secondly a bag of selvages for my wonderful friend Abby over at Mutterings from the Moor, Abby made my fantastic birthday present, a super duper bear and she also makes them out of old children's clothes and even wedding dresses for all of you wondering what to do with your dress. If you want to know about her need for selvages see here.

 

And finally, but not least, a number of pin cushions, stuffed with lavender in a heart theme and a mother of heart button heart for LizzyLou. Lizzy is holding a craft stall in aid of The British Heart Foundation. 

 

 

Speaking of giving, Magic Mummy over at The Diary of a Frugal Family, has awarded me with an Inspirational Blog Award and I am more than pleased to receive such a lovely award. Please do visit Magic Mummy, who is doing the best she can to live a frugal lifestyle.

It is now down to me to pass this on to 3 blogs which inspire me too, so I am going to be passing this on to:

Cathy at NurtureStore. She is another mummy, who loves to do lots of crafty things and I just love, love, love her ideas.

Melitsa at Play-activities, again another mummy who inspires me to play everyday with the mini's.

Stephanie at Bah to Cancer!, this lady never fails to inspire me, she is just well one of a kind and more than that when she dances she just gets everyone on the dance floor with her and I for one am so enjoying boogieing round my handbag with her

Bloggy Love

I decided to take part in the Christmas Ornament swap this year.  I already had the materials to make my ornament, so it would only be the postage costs.

 

 

 

My Ornaments received from my partner at ooodlesofnoodles.blogspot.com are fabtastic and look great on the tree,  I love them.

I also received a lovely Circle of friends award from Penny at Pennys Hen House.  This means an awful lot to me, in fact I cried.

Now I have to tell you 5 things I like to do:

Smell my children

Walk by the sea, even in the winter

Sewing

Having my hair washed at the hairdressers (Roll on Tuesday)!!

Drinking tea

I have to pass this on to 5 people

Sandy at Baby Baby, I think we are living paralle lives!!

Aby at Mutterings from the moor, a wonderful, caring and just fab lady

Suzie at itch2stitch, she has been through so much and is a tower of stregth to me

Stephanie at Bah! to Cancer, She has the most wonderful attitude and I think I am a little bit in love with her!!!

I would also pass it back to Penny, as she has been supporting me from the start!

Awards and Link Love

A while back I received an award from Kelly at A Place of My Own - Shining Light: The blogger that receives this award has left a comment or written a post that has helped light the way for the blogger who presents them with the award.

 I also received the honest scrap award for Aingeal over at Mum's Survival Guide

I am ever so proud of this, as it signifies and highlights what blogging means for me.  It is a community of people who I am happy to call my friends.  I am all for offering support, in one way as a mother I find other mothers the first to judge, but also offer great advise and support.  I would rather be positive and offer support.

Kelly say this of the award "Please take this award in the spirit that it is meant and adorn your blogs with it as you see fit. You can keep it, you can pass it on today, you can hold on and pass it on when someone really helps you. You do not need to be on this list to give this award to another blogger, if there is someone that you feel deserves it please just take it. No rules, no meme, just a special way of acknowledging how we help each other. I am sure I will have occasion to pass this on to others in the future".  A perfect sentiment in my book and a great reason for an award.

Now the meme that goes with this is I have to list 10 things that no-one knows about me.  Well I will try, but adding the disclaimer that MadDad knows all there is to know!!

I hate birds, no I really do, their flippy, flappy wings urgggggg.  They give me the creeps

My secret vice is nutella and peanut butter sandwiches
I suffered really serious PND after giving birth to MiniMad and refused to acknowledge it until he was a year old and it was far too advanced.
I am still receive counselling and treatment and he is 3 year old.
I only learned to drive when I was 32 and passed my test when I was 32 weeks pregnant with MiniMad.
I used to have a serious and responsible job, but nothing is more responsible than raising children in my opinion.
I used to be a perfectionist and something of a control freak before the children came along.
I had a dog called raffles
My husband is my hero

I would die for my family

The deal is pass this on to 10 bloggers who blogs I admire, now you may have received this award before, but I wanted to pass it on as a sign that I really love your blog.  I would also like to pass it on to a number of bloggers who I would like to know more about or who are just starting out.

Bad Penny at the HenHouse as she has lived such an interesting life and I want to know more!

Flos at Troc Broc and Recup as I am so envious of where she lives and love all her finds

Geriatric Mummy as I know there is so much more information there waiting to come flooding out as she holds a wealth of information on  Holistic Health and Aromatherapy.

Overflowing Mum at The Overflowing Family as I am in so much admiration that she has six children, is a child psychologist, business woman and still manages to be a great mum

Sew Scrumptious as I love her fabric porn and the fact that she is gathering 70 presents for her mum for her birthday at Christmas!!

Stephanie at Bah! to cancer, this woman is an inspiration, she has and is dancing with cancer in such a way that even Craig Revel Horwood would give her a 10 and also tell her how fab u lous daaaarling she is!

Liz at Violet Posy for all the support she has given me - she is fantastic and made the wonderful Crafting with Children button.

Josie at Sleep is for the weak - she is trying hard to be the best mum she can to Kai, plus she gives me inspiration each week with the Wedensday Weekly Writing Prompts and and she called me the Queen of Creative (I was so happy).

Sandy at Baby Baby - I really identify with Sandy, we both had children close together and her blog just seems so familiar.

New Mummy  - I read her Wednesday Writing post and sat with tears in my eyes.  It is not often that you read such a honest and brutal post.

So a bit of Friday Link love going on, enjoy and thank you from me!

 

First Award - woop de doo

I am honored and dead chuffed really yo be awarded my first ever blog award by Bad Penny at The Hen House.  How cool is it that someone likes my blog and reads it too.  Penny wanted an alternative Blog Title other than TheMadHouse. 

The thing is there is always something going on here and craft things and children's detritus is strewn on the dinning table and all over the conservatory, so when my mum started saying that we were TheMadHouse it just kind of stuck, she even answers the phone "welcome to the mad house" when she is at mine!!

If it wasn't that then it would have to be something about tea.  I am a tea monster.  I love my tea with a passion and especially adore proper tea from leaves in a warmed pot and have a cupboard with my tea leaves in.  I am especially fond of Fortnum and Masons royal blend, Taylors of Harrogate Yorkshire Tea although my regular tipple is Twinnings everyday tea.

I love the whole experience of taking tea and have done so in some wonderful places, but that is another blog entirely.

Anyway thank you lots and lots Penny.