5th blogoversary

Hello...it's my blogoversary today.  5 years, where has the time gone?  Below I have copied and pasted my first ever post.  I wonder how many readers today have read it before?  None I suspect.

Blogging - I'm a blogger!!

Well where do I start? I suppose the first thing to do is to let everyone know who I am!

I am Sharon, 39, and married. I have 2 wonderful children - Rachael, 8, ( who also has Type 1 diabetes) and Luke, 6. We have 3 dopey cats - Sheba, Biskey and Smudge. We also have 4 goldfish but I don't have a clue what they are called these days as their names changed from day to day when we first got them 2 years ago.

I work as a teaching assistant in a primary school which I absolutely love. I get the best of both worlds - job satisfaction and loads of holidays. Contrary to public opinion we do not get paid these holidays, teachers do, we don't!! Currently I am in a Year 1 class (age 5 -6 years) but I have worked across just about all ages in the past.

My main hobby is cross stitching. If I live to 100 there is a vague chance that I could stitch all my stash but I doubt it. My favourite designs are Mirabilia, Amanda Loverseed's Cut Thru's and Lizzie Kate's for a quick stitch. I recently compiled a list of my WIP's and UFO's.........that was a scary job!!

I also enjoy stamp collecting, not philately - there is a difference! I collect stamps from Great Britain and butterflies from all over the world. I only started collecting again after Christmas 2007 but I am rapidly building my collection again!!

My daughter has Type 1 diabetes and has done since November 2005. This was a total bolt from the blue as there is no history of it in either family. She manages this fantastically, currently with 4 injections a day but we are currently having pump training. Soon she will be the proud owner of a pump - and she can't wait!! Rachael is under Dr Doughty at St Mary's in Manchester. Both him and Marie the diabetes nurse are fabulous and I can't recommend them enough. We only moved there in August 2007 after becoming disillusioned with our previous hospital.

Well there have been a fair few changes in 5 years but nothing major.

Let me see...well obviously I'm 44 now...lol.  We only have 2 cats now, Sheba had to be put to sleep a couple of years ago.  The 4 goldfish became 16 danios - don't worry no black magic was used :)

I'm still a teaching assistant but at a different school.  I no longer work in class but provide SEN support across school but mainly Key Stage 2.  I've also completed 2/3 of a degree in Childhood and Youth Studies now.

My taste in designers hasn't changed massively but it has broadened somewhat.  I still have little no chance of completing all my stash before I die.

Now, if you are still awake, here's the interesting bit...a giveaway.  Jo, of Serendipitous Stitching, pointed out that for a 5th wedding anniversary is traditional to give wood.  So my giveaway is a log.  No...only kidding.  My plan is to make up a package filled with some wood themed stitchy bits.  So for example there might be a chart from White WILLOW Stitching...get it?

If you would like to enter the giveaway please leave a comment on this post only.  I will choose a winner on Easter Monday but it may take me a couple of weeks to get everything together.  I'm not doing this to get new followers or anything like that so would ask that it isn't posted to other blogs.  Let's face it, the less it is advertised, the more chance you have of winning :)