My victory speech for the MAD Awards 2012. Because I am a winner, you know.

I became a blogger because I didn’t like speaking in public and don’t generally like dealing with the public at large, so it’s ironic really that I find myself here tonight’s speaking in public to actual Human Beings.

As with any award,there are several people I need to thank,without whom I would not be here tonight.

 

Firstly my husband, my adored though somewhat beleaguered DH. He puts up with a lot, yet continues to love and support me in all that I do, even if he doesn’t really understand what the hell I am talking about or what the point of blogging is. Everything that I write, make or create has, to some degree, been inspired by the way he is so determined to do a good job in all that he does. He is truly incredible and I love him with every fibre of my being.

 

Next, to my mother, who loved me first. She gave me the skills I needed in life, and in parenthood. She encouraged me to dream big and has always supported me and my brothers in all that we do. She is a doting Granny to my two girls and I know that her heart is split in two because they are here and her other Grandchildren are on the other side of the Atlantic and she cannot be in two places at once. She is also a huge fan of the blog and introduces all her friends to my writing wherever she goes. I often joke that I know she has settled in when she moves to a new place because I suddenly get a cluster of new readers from that country.

 

Then there are my babies: My Girls. The most photogenic children in the world ever, and the reason I have so much to write about. They never cease to amaze, astound and irritate me to the very edge of my sanity. They love baking and making, painting, cutting and sticking. They love to talk and sing and say the funniest things. In many ways, they are the real talent behind my blog. I hope that when they are older they will look at my body of work (if I can call it that) with pride and know that they were loved more than it is possible for one human to love another: that they will always be my babies.

It should go without saying that I thank the Tots 100 team, who are the people behind the awards: they are the reason we are all here tonight. They, and Sally in particular, do a lot to promote the work of parenting bloggers and without their hard work, persistence and man hours, we would not be able to enjoy such swanky surroundings.

And finally, I should like to thank the people who, in many ways, are the most significant people in my life. I’ve never met most of them, and yet I appreciate every single one of them. My readers, whether one-post-stands or regular subscribers, are the reason that I am here tonight. Some of them enjoy reading so much that they nominated me for five awards across several platforms this year, because they wanted to. I am so very grateful to them for my nomination. I am very grateful to each and every person who takes time out of their day to read, respond and even be inspired by things that I have done and written about. They are the best readers anyone could ask for.

To every tweeter, liker, commenter, and silent lurker, this is for you.