WINNERS ARE GRINNERS!

Winners are grinners!

This past week that has been the absolute truth.

Despite a rough (will be for a while) ride in my reluctant journey into management, there was a silver lining; many prompt responses for attendance to my next meeting - small things make me happy in this job!

After a day that seemed less than happiness on Thursday, with hubby having to take the day off due to a sick little Miss 4 for the second day in a row, I just felt flat. Mother guilt had set in, end of the working week, knowing that I had a deadline to make some curtains for the Miss Ella Skye Backyard Dreams Project and that I should not have changed the colour scheme so late; the house was scruffy and the washing was thankfully not too far behind.

Then I did my e-mail check once the girls were in bed and the house had a run through tidy up. I had won the DirtGirlWorld Grubby giveaway from Childhood 101 with the amazing Christie Burnett. So now my two little "Dirt Girls" will have some new CD's and DVD's for when it is too hot this summer or too wet in the winter! I was thrilled, I WON - woo hoo.

Then I did the inevitable and went online to Facebook and to Childhood 101, got sidetracked and went back to my e-mails. Then surprise number 2 for the night......Pinky McKay, yes the famous author and mother of five and a nurse to boot, liked my comment on her Facebook page. Well actually she didn't like it, she commented below and said she loved my comment. It was a huge thrill and an honour. Further on she also agreed with another reader and I about our views on the bias towards mothers in their role, rather than it being a familial focus.

I then had the honour of being the cubby house queen and waving my magic over a plain little cubby house in a plain little backyard. Now my part was easy sort of ( I had never seen the cubby before mind you). The hard yakka the other team members had to put in though was well rewarded by a fabulous looking garden that was friendly to the needs of a disabled child and her family. It was a job well done by all and then others pitched in more and more towards the end of the day. The excitement and apprehension grew and then came the reveal at about 8:45 that evening. Ella was "wow", jumped on her trampoline, loved her fairy garden and new tea set and table and chairs and walked into the cubby and said "Oh WOW". She was in awe and I was rewarded with something money just can't buy- pure gratitude from the purest of children.

Her mum and dad loved it too, lost for words and a little wine weary they could not believe what we had done for them. I was invited back the next night to share this with my girls who helped me shop and sew. For the first time my 4 year old did not take 2 hours to warm up - she was straight in there and playing- double happiness for me! See my previous post AMAZING to understand what this is all about

So I am still on my grinning high, how can I not be. I see on Facebook the fabulous work we all did for one family who just needed a break and asked nothing of it. We sent them off on a trip for the day with day spas, cars for the dad, picnic lunch and wineries and a splendid meal at A Hereford Beefstouw. We helped some people, raised some serious cash and did some good old fashioned "lending a hand".

For more information and pictures see:http://www.liahealyblog.com

For the fabulous Childhood 101 site here is the link, boredom will be a word of the past and no electricity is required for many of these great learning activities.
http://childhood101.com.

So I will grin away and know I am the luckiest person in the world this week. It is not the first time either, did I tell you about the time I won a new Dyson vacuum? No, well maybe another time.

Until my next who knows when post, stay happy, on track and grateful for all the little things we have, because from little things - big things grow!