It is a new beginning!

Hi ALL,



It is about time I gave this blog an update

and a little injection of positivity!

My family and I are MOVING ... from the red outback desert in Newman

to the green bush and dazzling wildflowers in the Perth Hills.

After 6 YEARS of living in a remote, country town

we're more than a little scared, excited and OVERWHELMED

at the thought of moving closer than 1200kms to a city!

However, we're determined to make this change as positive

as we can and EMBRACE the new journey we've decided to undertake!

This change brings with it a new school for the girls,

a new job for myself (when I find one)

and a NEW ROUTINE for my husband as he works a 'normal' working week

for the first time in his 20 years career.

What?

Weekends?

Public holidays?

WOW!

One further change is my passion and enthusiasm for EDUCATION,

in particular, teaching children to read ... which has now reached new heights!

In fact, it couldn't get any BIGGER!

I have decided to dedicate my short term energy into assisting

as many struggling readers as I can

to experience the SUCCESS and joy of reading!

Thus it is my hope, that this blog be full of GOOD-NEWS stories as well as

the emotional turbulence and triumphs as I endeavour to live my dream :))

I hope you can join me on this new journey ...

Feel free to offer your own experiences as you read along.

With much HOPE and best wishes, Tara

A long road for the non-believers

 It has been a long road, but today we finally reached the start of something new!

Over the last six weeks I have held his hand, encouraged him to believe

and today he chose to finally let go of his self-doubts.

The transformation was sudden and unexpected.

He had been teetering on the edge of a precipice for weeks and

I really didn't know which way he was going to fall.

On his face?

On his feet?

I wept today as I witnessed his feet touch the ground first!

How did it happen?

Trust ...

Faith ...

Courage ...

Determination ...

And simply caring about someone's future enough to help them see the stars and reach out for them!

He isn't the only one in my care.

There are five of them, in total.

Each have their own demons, weaknesses and self-doubts to overcome.

But his have been the hardest to penetrate.

I celebrated with him today.

We celebrated with his teachers.

And I hope he is celebrating with his new found confidence tonight.

Tomorrow is another day for him to face his fears and doubts,

since there is no doubt they will return ...

I hope he has discovered a way to fight them now

as he is my inspiration to get up tomorrow and do it all over again!

Bless you T :))

A blessing in disguise

Under most circumstances

there can be two ways of looking at a situation.

My situation:

 I'm due to start a new job,

 my husband is away,

and my children are going to be contagious

over the next week ...

*sigh*

Do I wail and despair

or do I chortle and hoot

at the impossibility of it all?

Well, perhaps I did both ...

and then decided to call in the cavalry!

Thankfully, tomorrow morning my Mother flies in from Perth

to look after the girls whilst I go to work.

*whew*

So, although we've had a tumultuous week of
fevers, 

itchy feet,

spots 

and uncertainty,

our next week will provide a rare opportunity to spend time with Nana.

Thus, sometimes a difficult situation turns out
to be a blessing in disguise! :)

P.S. Thank you Mum

for your willingness to give up a week of your own life

and come to save us from our circumstances.

Rainbow magic

What an amazing day!

I was with my Pre-Primary kids today

... all 20 of them ...

and we had such a fun day.

We explored the colours of the rainbow and

did a bit of magic (or science) too.

The kids are super excited about doing these

science experiments at the moment

and I am getting some great compliments as a result!

It was "Mrs Magic" today! Ha ha.

The experiment:

Step 1. Add 1 cup of milk to a shallow bowl.

Step 2. Add 3 drops of yellow food colouring

 to one edge of the bowl

then 3 drops of red food colouring

 about a third of the way around the bowl,

and 3 drops of blue food colouring

 another third of the way around the bowl.

DON'T JIGGLE OR MIX

Step 3. Squeeze a drop of dish washing detergent

into the centre of the bowl.

Step 4. Now watch what happens!!!!!!!!!!!

We had four tables, each with eager faces watching intently

as the detergent swirled through the milk

picking up each of the colours as it went.

Rainbow Magic, indeed!

This is the one we did at home :)

Fabulous 15!

Apparently, it is all to do with attention spans ...

But, whatever it is -- it really does work!

After talking with an expert,

we limited our girls' homework time to a fabulous 15 minutes a day ...

And amazingly they now appear less apathetic

and, dare I say, more enthusiastic about their HOMEWORK!

The other day, in fact, they both chose to do their homework
before going off for their favourite after-school activity -- imaginative play. 

Our girls are nearly 7 years old and know that 15 minutes isn't that long,
so I emphasize this fact -- and use "you've only got 5 more minutes" to get us over the line!

What a difference these little things can make to the enjoyment of life.

Thank you Brad!

Hugs

Hugs.

Hugs are precious.

Hugs are priceless.

Hugs are made for every occasion!

Hugs can make you feel ...

supported,

comforted,

acknowledged,

loved,

secure,

and special.

I love hugs.

I love to give hugs.

I love to receive hugs.

And, amazingly, you can't fake a hug!

Hugs are for family.

Hugs are for friends.

Hugs are for babies, the elderly and everyone in between.

Hugs are for everybody!

There are all sorts of hugs:

bear hugs,

A-frame hugs,

cheek hugs,

sandwich hugs,

grabber-squeezer hugs,

group hugs,

side-to-side hugs,

back-to-front hugs,

heart-centred hugs,

and custom-tailored hugs.

A hug is a simple gesture that can say more than words.

So ... make sure you hug each and every day.

Hug yourself, your partner, your children, your friends, your neighbour, or your hairdresser.

Hug your extended family and make sure your hugs are sincere and full of love and grace.

"The Litte Book of Hugs" by Kathleen Keating is my source for different sorts of hugs.

Happiness

What do you need to be happy?

I have learnt over the years not to depend too much upon other people, material wealth or life circumstances for my happiness.

I am happy when the glow and warmth of the winter sun enters the windows of my house.

I am happy with a strong, black coffee and sizeable square of chocolate in my hand.

I am happy as I walk my very energetic and often disobedient puppy in the bush.

I am happy at get-togethers with old friends or family I haven't seen for a long time.

I am happy when I can talk deeply and trustingly with a close friend or my loving husband.

I am happy with the satisfaction of a hard day's work or the arrival of an unexpected compliment.

I am happy as I watch the rain lashing our lounge room window during a wild tropical storm.

I am happy at the memory of childhood delights or first kisses.

I am happy when I read an unforgettable book, view a fabulous photograph or see an inspirational movie.

I am happy with the sound of my children laughing.

I am happy as Spring arrives and brings with it the first blush of roses and fruit blossoms.

I am happy at the beach with the sound of waves upon the shore and the joy of shell collecting.

But I am happiest, above all, within my own skin.

It has taken many painstaking years to get to this point, but I am now happy to be who I am.